Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Re-write (Los Santos)
by waters22
Summary: How it all started for CJ. In retrospect, I felt that the Los Santos storyline could use a little more expansion. So in this part of the story, I decided to simply write the same story with some improvement and additional missions, as well as bigger roles for the minor characters of the story.
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

**Note: I'm not gonna include everything that was featured in the introduction. Since this is mostly a re-write focusing more on CJ's story and the story focusing on Grove Street and C.R.A.S.H., I'm only including the scenes in Los Santos and trying to connect them in the right order. So anyways, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The date was August 19, 1992 in the busy streets of Liberty City. Carl Johnson, a 21-year-old African American thug, crossed the street and got to a parked car, only to realize the door was locked.

"Damn!" he muttered. "Shit!"

So he took a furtive look around the street and crossed to get to a driver at a red light.

"Get out the car!" he demanded pulling the driver out of the car. "Out, now!"

He hopped inside the vehicle and continued riding just as the light turned green. He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket to call his ally.

"Joey!" he answered. "Hey, wassup, man? It's CJ."

He stopped to listen to what Joey was telling him.

"Yeah. I hear you," CJ said. "I never knew my dad, but my brother used to make my life miserable."

He paused once again to listen to what Joey was telling him.

"Yeah, well, that's what family for," CJ said. "Anyway, I got that thing you wanted. Want me to shoot it by the garage?"

He paused to listen to Joey's answer.

"No, no," he answered. "I gotta get this thing off the street, man. It's way hot. All right, cool. Later."

His name was Carl Johnson, but everyone called him CJ. He wasn't exactly from Liberty City. He was from Los Santos, San Andreas. He grew up as a young gangbanger in his teen years with his older brother Sean, nicknamed Sweet, as the leader of the Grove Street Family gang. The gang was formed by Sweet in the 1980s, and Grove Street was at its height and power during the time against their rival gang the Ballas. CJ and Sweet, along with their younger sister Kendl and younger brother Brian, were raised by their single mother Beverly, whose husband left just shortly after Brian was born. Because her husband wasn't around that often, CJ never got a chance to actually know his father and was constantly pressured by Sweet to follow his orders as if _HE _was the father of the family, which only annoyed the three younger siblings. CJ still loved his brother though and looked up to him.

Then, in 1987, it happened. CJ and Brian had walked to the convenience store on Idlewood and were ambushed in a drive-by courtesy of the Ballas. Brian, unfortunately, was murdered, and Sweet and his buddies, who had just arrived, murdered the Ballas, except the driver, who sped away out of sight. After discovering Brian's death, Sweet blamed CJ for Brian's demise, which prompted CJ to finally leave Los Santos and run to Liberty City. Ever since then, he had met mechanic Joey Leone, who gave him a job to collect cars for his garage, quite enjoying himself since then.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Los Santos, Sweet and his allies were playing craps on Ganton Street. His closest friend, Melvin Harris, nicknamed Big Smoke, was standing right next to him. Sweet was wearing a green Los Santos baseball cap, green T-shirt, baggy blue denim pants, and blue Chuck sneakers. His partner, Big Smoke, was a fat man wearing a black fedora hat, eye glasses with black frames, a green button-up shirt, baggy gray pants, and black shoes.

"Baby needs diapers!" Sweet said as he rolled the dice.

"Oh!" the other gang members cried out as the dice hit the ground, coming up as eight altogether.

"Shit!" Sweet muttered.

"Hey, fool," Big Smoke told Sweet. "We losing the streets, man!"

"Nah. We just standing by our principles, homie," Sweet claimed.

"But our principles are making us bitches, man," Smoke convinced. "Every day, Ballas get stronger, and you and I get weaker. You and I get poorer, man!"

"Man, that shit'll blow over," Sweet shrugged. "It always does."

"Oh whatever, man!" Smoke uttered.

Just then, Jeffrey Cross, one of the allies, came around to interfere with the game.

"Man, whoever heard of a gangster rapper called 'Jeffrey', man?" he shouted.

Jeffrey disliked his name. He felt it wasn't hardcore or gangster, nor did it make him seem tough. He wanted a nickname that was, in his own word, 'gangster'. So he called himself 'OG Loc'. He had always wanted to hang out with the Grove Street members and wanted to pursue a career as a gangster rapper, despite barely even turning 18 as of recently. He was shirtless with a scrawny body full of tattoos and a gold necklace around his neck and wore a black skully and red pants that were slightly sagging. Sweet and Big Smoke, however, were annoyed of his wannabe thuggish ways and wanted nothing to do with him.

"Hey Jeffrey, man, you're messing up the game, man!" Big Smoke growled in annoyance.

"OG Loc!" Jeffrey shouted. "Now that's a gangster name, man. Like Sweet, or Big Smoke."

"Jeffrey, you ain't no gangster" Big Smoke told him.

"Man, you ain't never put in no work for the set," Sweet added. "You a friend, but you ain't no gangster."

"Man, I'm for real, homie!" Jeffrey protested. "For real!"

"Okay, cool!" Sweet snarled in irritation. "Now kick rocks, you messin' up my game."

"You know what?" Jeffrey said. "I'm gonna prove to y'all how real I am. Watch me!"

"Jeffrey, go to college, man!" Sweet told him. "Make something of yourself. Me and the fat man, we messed our lives up. We fucked up in the game, man. We products of the environment. Don't be an idiot, man. Make us proud. Do shit different, baby."

"But I'm a gangster rapper!" Jeffrey complained. "It's my calling, homie!"

"Look man," Big Smoke told him. "Do whatever you want, but get the fuck outta here."

"No, man, go be a gangster someplace else, baby," Sweet chuckled.

"Forget y'all!" Jeffrey whined walking away.

As soon as Jeffrey went away, Sweet and Big Smoke continued their conversation. "This ain't a fucking playground craze, man," Big Smoke told Sweet. "This is the biggest money-making opportunity that guys like us will ever see."

"I got all the shit I need," Sweet said. "Man, I thought we was in this for the hood, not destroying the family, man. This Grove Street, nigga. Roll the dice!"

"Talking of holding families together, you heard from CJ lately?" Big Smoke asked.

The mention of his brother's name has finally got to Sweet. It's been five years since Sweet has last talked to CJ. Ever since the latter left, Sweet has never bothered even calling CJ or even checking up on him since then. He currently never wanted to hear his name brought up again "We ain't speaking," Sweet grumbled. "He got his own life. More than he deserves."

"What- what- what, Brian been dead, what, five years now?" Big Smoke asked.

"Yeah, CJ have five years when he should have been dead," Sweet muttered sullenly. "Man, I lost two brothers, man. One got killed and one showed himself, old perpetratin' ass bitch."

Big Smoke felt rather shocked to hear Sweet say such a thing about his own brother. "You real gangsta, man, but you gotta lighten up," he coaxed Sweet. "See, CJ, he's..."

"CJ running 'round like a fool on the east coast!" Sweet interrupted furiously. "He can rot in hell for all I give a fuck!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Liberty City, CJ was walking down the alleyway in the red-light district. He viewed a man walking by him going the opposite direction, and CJ turned around, grabbed his pistol, and shoved the man against the brick wall.

"Gimme yo' fucking money!" he demanded ominously.

"All right, man," the man said in a panicking voice as he handed him his wallet. "All right, man. Here, man, take it."

"Yeah," CJ whispered taking the wallet.

"Come on, man," the man protested. "Just don't shoot ma."

CJ instead pistol whipped the man and darted away. "Punk ass motherfucker!" CJ muttered.

* * *

Back in Los Santos was also the home of C.R.A.S.H. (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums), a unit of the Los Santos Police Department, which was used to reduce the level of crime in the city. Despite that, C.R.A.S.H. were actually corrupt, as their method of stopping crime was just by simply instigating a riot in the hood as a way to destroy the gang completely. They even made business with street gangs such as the Ballas in order to instigate the war between the rival gangs. In other words, their method of ending gang wars was by manipulation. They really didn't care about any crimes on the street as long as it didn't affect them.

Officer Frank Tenpenny, an African-American cop and the founder of C.R.A.S.H., was especially eager to manipulate anyone he came in contact with. His partner in-crime, Edward Pulaski, a fat, Polish-American cop, always complied to Tenpenny's demands and was there to back him up whenever Tenpenny would get into conflict with anyone he did business with.

Tenpenny was currently talking to someone who tried to refuse his deal on the phone. He and Pulaski were at their car in front of the Jim Sticky Ring donut shop on Market Street.

"Listen to me, son," Tenpenny told the person he did business with, "I don't give a fuck about you, I don't give a fuck about your principles, I don't give a fuck about your friends. People who get in my way get fucked. Now, you got paid! You took the money! I'm trying to set you up for life here, boy, and you're inadequate! You're no use to me at all, boy! Maybe I should kill you instead!"

He turned to Pulaski, who had come toward the car from the donut shop. "Eddie," he told Pulaski. "Organize a hit squad!"

"Not a problem," Pulaski replied.

Tenpenny then got back to his phone call. "You hear that?" he told the person he was speaking to. "You feelin' me here? You about to wake up with your head fifty feet away from your body, son. Do what we agreed! Oh, you think you can pull one over me?! Do you? I don't think so! So do it! This week!"

Tenpenny hung up the cellphone and stored it around his belt. "All good, pal?" Pulaski asked him.

"Pal?" Tenpenny asked abruptly. "I'm your superior officer and don't you forget that shit! But yeah, all good."

"So is he gonna do it?" Pulaski asked.

"Didn't I say it was all good?!" Tenpenny snarled.

Pulaski nodded. "So are we gonna get the kid?" he asked Tenpenny.

"Yeah," Tenpenny answered. "Let's initiate the little bastard into the force."

So they hopped inside the police car, with Pulaski taking the wheel, and drove away.

* * *

The two cops were later parked outside of the police station in Pershing Square. They turned to see a Hispanic man wearing a cop uniform walking out of the station and approaching the police car.

"So you're the new kid, huh?" Pulaski asked.

"Yeah," the Hispanic man answered. "Been working on the streets three years though, and I realized there's only one kind of crime in Los Santos…. Gang crime. That's why I joined C.R.A.S.H."

"Get in the car, kid," Pulaski demanded.

The officer's name was Jimmy Hernandez, and he wanted to eliminate the gang violence by stopping it rather than manipulate it. So he was oblivious to Tenpenny and Pulaski's method. He hopped inside the back seat, and Pulaski continued driving.

"I was called in on this domestic dispute case once," Officer Hernandez told the two cops. "You got this young kid, okay? Can't be more than twenty years old, beating up his wife. So I figure, easy, right? No man hits a woman. Well, it turns out this woman spends all day freebasing and nearly let their kid starve to death. All right, so what do I do? I could take this guy in, and leave a little kid with a drug-addict mother, or I let a guy off with beating up his wife, I mean, it's difficult out there."

"Domestic violence?" Tenpenny asked suddenly as Pulaski made it across Glen Park.

"Yeah, yeah," Hernandez replied. "Serious stuff, man."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Tenpenny muttered. "Pulaski, pull over."

Pulaski complied to Tenpenny's demand and the latter turned around to face Hernandez.

"Well, I deal with drug dealers, gangbangers, and psychotics," he told Hernandez, "all of them chasing after a lot of money, none of them scared to kill me, you, or all our families, if they think it will help them. Now this is a bit more serious than a domestic dispute, pal."

"Look," Hernandez tried to explain, "I didn't mean anything by it. I was just– "

"I'm not really interested in what you meant to say," Tenpenny interrupted. "See what you said was you found a woman on drugs a difficult situation. Now how the hell am I supposed to trust you if you're so easily confused?"

"Look," Hernandez explained. "I'm a good cop."

"This ain't about being a good, cop, Pepe," Tenpenny told him.

"It's about taking control of the streets from the fucking savages who've got it now!" Pulaski added.

"I know!" Hernandez answered.

"Then you'll do what it takes?" Tenpenny asked.

"Yeah," Hernandez answered. "Whatever it takes!"

"'Cause this is a game of percentages, 24/7, 365, or in the case of this year, 366," Tenpenny informed." We're just trying to screw as many bad guys as we can."

"Yeah, I know," Hernandez told them.

"That means letting some bad guys get away with things," Tenpenny told him.

"And sometimes, it means doing shit you ain't proud of," Pulaski added. "Because you're strong enough and smart enough to understand the bigger picture."

"Look. I know," Hernandez protested.

"You don't know shit!" Tenpenny told him. "Get the fuck out of the car, ese."

Hernandez complied and hopped right out. He watched as Tenpenny and Pulaski drove away.

* * *

Night had finally fallen, as it was 12:18 AM, and Tenpenny and Pulaski were walking out of Ganton Street to their car.

"I knew that fat fuck would see it our way!" Tenpenny said.

"Yeah," Pulaski added. "Always do once they understand the choices we're offering. Say Frank, what the hell are we gonna do with this Hernandez coming on board with us?"

"Exactly same thing as last time," Tenpenny responded. "He's either gonna play it our way, or he's gonna have a problem, like that oversized asshole back there. Look, I ain't worried about that, Pulaski. Pendelberry's more of a concern. He does what he's threatening, then shit's about to get real interesting."

"Yeah," Pulaski replied as he and Tenpenny hopped into the police car, with Pulaski taking the driver's seat. "Hey Frank, how about passing me a smoke?"

The two dirty cops drove away, and a trio of Ballas were hanging behind the gym lighting a joint. One Balla was wearing a white T-shirt, a gold chain around his neck, purple shorts, and a black cap on his head. Another Ballas member was dressed in a blue chore jacket, matching pants, and a brown baseball cap. The final member had on a purple jacket, brown pants, and a purple skully.

"Yo let me hit some of that, homie," the member in the white shirt told the one wearing the chore jacket, who was smoking a joint.

The latter handed the former the joint. "F'sho, homie," the member in the chore jacket said.

The member in the white T-shirt started to inhale and then coughed a bit. "Man, what's this sess bullshit?" he said handing the joint to the one in the purple jacket. "Man, you ain't got nothin' real to smoke?"

"Man, that ain't sess, homie," the one in the chore jacket protested. "That's that hydro."

"Man, whatever," the one in the white T-shirt replied.

"Man, you sure about this thing?" the member in the chore jacket asked.

"Man, I'm tellin' you, dude," the one in the white T-shirt said, "Grove Street's gone to shit, man. They done."

"But we copping off of one of their OGs, man," the member in the chore jacket told him. "You sure this is cool, or this some kinda trap?"

"Be cool, man," the member in the white T-shirt replied. "And if anyone tries shit…." He pulled out his pistol and cocked it back to demonstrate. "…. we blast them."

"F'sho," the member in the chore jacket replied.

"Man, Grove Street ain't even no real gang no more, homie," the member in the white T-shirt told him. "They perpetrators, now they even know it. Shit changes…." He pulled out a stack of joint to demonstrate. "….and this shit changes everybody, man. Even OGs want a slice of this…. And loyal customers."

"Guess you right," the member in the chore jacket agreed. "That shit changes everything, don't it?"

"F'sho," the member in the T-shirt said. "Let's bounce, homie."

* * *

So the Ballas turned to leave. They had a plan to weaken the Grove Street Families once and for all. So several minutes later, the Ballas were driving in a green Sabre cruising through the neighborhood. The vehicle drove through Idlewood and made their way under the bridge through Ganton. As they drove through the cul-de-sac, one of the members used the machine guns to fire a bunch of bullets at Beverly's house. The Sabre then drove away, and Sweet, who had just heard the commotion outside, ran to Beverly's house.

"NOOO!" Sweet bellowed as he made it to the front porch. "Oh shit! Hell! Oh Momma!"

Sweet kneeled down. Beverly Johnson had been standing by the door when the Ballas shot at the house, and to Sweet's horror, Beverly was lying on the ground in a puddle of blood, not moving in the slightest. The Ballas had killed Beverly Johnson!

His sister, Kendl, who appeared to be an African-American woman with brown eyes and black hair tied to a high puff wearing a green tanktop, faded blue skirt, and white sneakers, ran frantically to the house as well.

"Oh Momma!" Kendl cried out bursting in tears. "Momma! No! No!"

Sweet ran back out of the front door and held Kendl back. "Kendl!" Sweet told his sister hugging her. "Come on, girl! Momma!"

Kendl sobbed in Sweet's shoulder as he hugged her tightly. They had already lost their younger brother Brian, and now their mother had just been killed.

"Sweet," Kendl sobbed. "You've got to call Carl."

"Carl ain't gonna give a shit," Sweet told her. "He didn't give a shit for the past five years."

"Look, Sweet," Kendl cried between her sobs, sounding concurrently angry, "I know you and Carl aren't talking to each other after he left, but you have to let him know about this! You have to call him to inform the sad news!"

Sweet then realized he had no other choice. So later on, he decided to pull out his cellphone and punched in CJ's number. It was the first time he had ever talked to CJ since 1987.

"CJ, it's your brother," Sweet told CJ softly.

"Okay," CJ said back. "What you want?"

"I think you better come home," Sweet told CJ softly. "It's about Momma. She's dead bro."

Back in Liberty City, CJ was talking to Sweet on the phone while he was in his car. Listening to the last three words Sweet had told him made him drop his phone in shock. Was he listening correctly? Had he really lost another family member? CJ had absolutely no words left but a final response to Sweet.

"OK, Sweet," CJ told him despondently. "I'm on my way over."

CJ then hung up and punched in Joey's number.

"Listen, Joey," CJ said as Joey finally picked up. "I have to leave Liberty City. Family business."


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome Back

_After five years on the East Coast, it was time to go home._

CJ had finally made it back in the airport of Los Santos after five full years. He couldn't believe what just happened last night. As if losing his younger brother wasn't enough, he had now lost his mother. Still sustaining his somber expression, he grabbed his suitcase from the conveyor belt and headed out for the exit. Sweet's words during his phone call to him last night had come back in his head.

_"'Sup?"_

_"Carl, it's Sweet!"_

_"'Sup, Sweet? What you want?"_

_"It's Mama! She's dead, bro!"_

* * *

As CJ exited the airport, he hopped inside a nearby taxi, and it took off. The taxi cab drove through the streets of Los Santos, and CJ looked around his old hometown. Everything has changed since the past five years he ran away from home. Everything was very different from the 1980s. There were no longer pedestrians rocking 1980s fashion and/or hair, and the vehicles had also evolved. Los Santos was in a different culture now.

As the taxi cab stopped behind Ganton Street, CJ's home street, a police car pulled up from behind the taxi cab. CJ looked behind and saw two familiar cops hop out, pointing the guns at the taxi cab. It was Hernandez and Pulaski!

"Passenger!" CJ heard Tenpenny shout over the megaphone. Tenpenny had stepped outside of the car as well. "Show us your hands!"

CJ didn't have much of a choice. He disliked Officer Tenpenny and the other members of C.R.A.S.H. But he knew that he didn't have much of a choice. So he slowly exited the taxi cab with his hands in the air and stepped backwards a few inches.

"Stop!" Tenpenny demanded as CJ complied to his demand. "Get down on your knees!"

CJ complied and gradually dropped to his knees, with his hands behind his head.

"Now down on your stomach!" Tenpenny ordered.

CJ then took his hands off his head and lowered them to the ground as he got onto his stomach. "There ya go," Tenpenny said softly as he watched Hernandez handcuff CJ's wrists behind his back. He also took some cash out of CJ's pocket.

"I'll take that, Hernandez!" Tenpenny ordered as he snatched the cash out of Hernandez's hand.

"Hey, that's my paper, man!" CJ protested. "That's money!"

"This is drug money," Tenpenny claimed.

"My money, man…." CJ said querulously.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Pulaski told him as Hernandez pulled CJ to his feet. "I'll fill it out later."

Hernandez then walked CJ to face Officer Tenpenny, who took a discerning look at him face to face. "Welcome home, Carl," the corrupt cop told him. "Glad to be back. You haven't forgotten about us, have you, boy?"

"Hell naw, Officer Tenpenny," CJ protested. "I was just wondering what took y'all so long."

"Get in the car," Tenpenny demanded silently.

Hernandez shoved CJ to the police car. "Ease up, man," CJ complained. "Damn."

Pulaski also walked over to the driver's seat while Tenpenny and Hernandez guided CJ to the back seat.

"Watch you head," Tenpenny warned CJ as he took him to the back seat, only to accidentally slam CJ's head against the top of the car. CJ grunted in pain. "Ohh," Tenpenny uttered. "My bad."

Pulaski just chuckled at CJ's pain. He was the one who hated CJ the most and had wanted to kill him since the very beginning. But Tenpenny had squelched his attempts and convinced him to spare CJ in certain situations.

"Get out of here, you greaseball bastard!" Pulaski yelled at the taxi driver. The driver complied and sped away. "Stupid Mexicans," Pulaski muttered. Hernandez then glared at the Polish cop. "Oh, hey, sorry," Pulaski apologized.

"My bag!" CJ reminded remembering that he left his suitcase inside the taxi cab. "Hey, man, my bag!"

But the taxi cab had already pulled away, and the cops ignored his words. So CJ was now without anything to pack and stuck driving with C.R.A.S.H. in their police car.

* * *

"How you been, Carl?" Tenpenny asked as they drove through East Los Santos. "How's your wonderful family?"

"I'm here to bury my Moms," CJ answered. "You know that."

"Yeah, I guess I do," Tenpenny replied dryly. "So what else you got shaking, Carl?"

"Nothing," CJ replied. "I live in Liberty City now. I'm clean, legit."

"Naw, you ain't never been clean, Carl," Tenpenny said.

"Well what have we got here?" Pulaski asked pulling out a Desert Eagle as he came to a stop at the railroad tracks waiting for an oncoming train to pass by.

"This is the weapon, Officer Pulaski, that was used to gun down a police officer not ten minutes ago," Tenpenny explained. "Officer Pendelberry - a fine man, I might add. You work fast, nigga."

"You know I just got off the plane," CJ told them as the train cleared off, giving Pulaski the opportunity to continue driving.

"It's a good thing we found you and retrieved the murder weapon," Pulaski said.

"That ain't my gun," CJ protested.

"Don't bullshit me, Carl!" Tenpenny barked.

"Yeah, don't bullshit him, Carl!" Pulaski chimed in.

"What the fuck you want from me this time?" CJ groaned.

"When we want you," Tenpenny told him ominously, "we'll find you. In the meantime, try not to gun down any more officers of the law."

Tenpenny then chuckled malevolently as Hernandez slowly removed the handcuffs off of CJ's wrists. CJ then looked around the location. He realized where C.R.A.S.H. was sending him off to.

"Y'all can't leave me here!" CJ protested. "This Ballas' country!"

"I thought you said you was innocent, Carl!" Tenpenny told him. "That you don't bang?"

"This is car 58," Pulaski stated over the radio.

"See you around like a donut, Carl," Tenpenny chuckled as CJ was now thrown out of the moving vehicle as it sped away.

"What?!" Pulaski shouted distantly. "Officer Pendelbury's down?! We'll be right over!"

CJ got up to his feet and brushed himself off. He could not believe that C.R.A.S.H. had dropped him off into Ballas' territory, one of the worst places for him to be in, especially since he wasn't armed with any type of weapon.

_Ah shit, here we go again,_ he thought to himself. _Worst place in the world. Rollin Heights Balla country. I ain't represented Grove Street in five years, but the Ballas won't give a shit._

* * *

CJ didn't say a word. He just continued walking and spotted a bike up ahead. He wondered why someone would leave a bicycle abandoned in the alleyway. But he didn't have time to look for logic. He had to get back home. He hopped onto the bike and pedaled through the neighborhood, hoping that no Ballas gang member would try to shoot at him. He looked around to see that there were a few gang members who thankfully never took notice of him. He pedaled through the Jefferson Towers, the place where he and his family celebrated Christmas during childhood. His memories were all coming back to him as he continued pedaling through the city.

Finally, he passed the overpass of the old freeway and finally made it back to Ganton Street, where he saw his old neighborhood, as well as the house he used to live in.

_Grove Street, home, _he thought to himself. _At least it was before I fucked everything up!_


	3. Chapter 3: Big Smoke Sweet & Kendl

As CJ walked inside his house, he took a quick glimpse around it. With the exception of the crack in the window due to the drive-by shooting from last night, everything remained the same. Same set of stairs. Same blue sofa. Same small kitchen. There was even his old gaming system right below the television in the living room. The picture frames were also hanging on the walls: one of the scenery of a countryside, and the other with Sweet and Kendl. CJ picked up the picture of his mother off the floor by the gaming system. He could hear the voices in the past in his head.

_"Stop it! What are you doing! Carl! Brian! Stop it!"_

_"Quit it! Moms will hear!"_

_"Mom! They're up to something!"_

CJ quickly effaced the voices out of his head and took a seat at the table to look at the picture of his mother. He couldn't believe his mother was now gone. He wasn't sure how worse it could get.

"YOU PICKED THE WRONG HOUSE, FOOL!" he all of a sudden heard a familiar gravelly voice shout out.

CJ turned to see Big Smoke armed with a baseball bat coming out of the kitchen ready to attack.

"Big Smoke!" CJ shouted at his friend as he backed away against the wall, using the chair as a shield. "It's me! Carl! Chill! Chill!"

Big Smoke then came to a stop and set his bat aside. "CJ?" he asked staring at him. He then turned around and set the bat down heavily onto the table, right on top of the picture of CJ's mother. "Oooooohhhhhhhhh!" he cried out in surprise. "My dog! What's up?!"

He gave CJ a tight bear hug and chortled loudly. "Hey, baby," he said silently. "You okay?"

"Naw, man," CJ moaned somberly. "It's my Moms, homie."

"Hey," Big Smoke started to say, "I don't know why this had to happen, but I promise you, I'm going to find out who killed your moms. The streets is cold, dog. Like it says in the book, we are blessed and cursed."

CJ just stared sideways at Big Smoke, as if he had no idea what he was talking about. "What fucking book?" he finally asked.

"Same things make us laugh, make us cry," Big Smoke continued, deliberately ignoring CJ's question. "But right now, we gotta take care our business. Go see your brother at the cemetery. C'mon, let's bounce."

The two headed out to the door, and CJ looked up ahead to find that Big Smoke had kept the bat lying onto the photo of his mother.

"You wanna drive?" Big Smoke asked as he and CJ approached the former's black Perennial.

"Yeah, that's cool," CJ replied as he hopped into the driver's seat. "Nice car, Smoke."

"You know me," Big Smoke laughed as CJ started driving away. "It's not cut. Keep the value in it. Keep it real."

* * *

After a while, CJ and Big Smoke finally made it to the cemetery in Market Road.

"I've missed you these five years, man," Big Smoke told CJ. "They gonna be real happy to see you."

They came to find Sweet, Kendl, and CJ's other childhood friend Lance Wilson, nicknamed Ryder, standing around Beverly's grave mourning her loss. "Hey, what's up, y'all?" Big Smoke called to them as he and CJ approached the three. "Look who I found hanging around?"

"Carl, hey," Kendl said giving CJ a hug. "Good to see you."

CJ was glad to know that his little sister was happy to see him. The other two, on the other hand, were not as welcoming towards him. Sweet stared at CJ in disgust with his arms folded, and Ryder just turned away, not willing to even look at CJ.

_Great, _CJ thought. _Now even my big brother and homie are both mad at me._

CJ stared sadly at his mother's new tombstone. It made him feel bitter after looking at the information on it as well.

**Beverly Johnson**

**November 3, 1940 – August 20, 1992**

CJ was just stunned to see his mother now buried. "I can't believe she gone, man," he muttered sadly.

Sweet then unfolded his arms and stared at CJ furiously. "That's another funeral you ran away from, fool – just like Brians!" he told CJ as he stepped to him in disgust.

"Hey, she was my Momma too," CJ protested.

"Not for the past five years, she wasn't, nigga!" Sweet shot back.

Kendl had enough of Sweet's behavior. It was a very despondent moment for her, and Sweet had to kill the mood arguing with CJ, not being mature enough to let it go. So in a fit of pique, she finally stormed off.

"And where the fuck you think you going?!" Sweet called out to his now-disgruntled sister.

"What?! Get out my face!" Kendl shouted signaling a hand while walking away. "I'm going to see Cesar!"

Sweet then stepped up to confront her. "The hell you are, girl!" he shouted. "You ain't messing with them eses, you know we beefing! They ain't nothing but a bunch of lowlifes!"

The sheer sentences prompted Kendl to spin around and confront Sweet face-to-face.

"Look, I love him!" she shouted angrily at him. "And what the fuck are you?!"

"At least I got principles!" Sweet replied.

"Oh, and I guess that makes you an upstanding American," Kendl said sardonically. She turned to CJ. "Carl, tell him!" she told him.

"Carl, don't tell me shit, bitch!" Sweet snapped at his brother.

"As long as he treats her right," CJ said catching up to his brother and sister. He turned to Kendl. "Disrespect you, and he's dead," he told her.

"How the hell you gonna say that?!" Sweet snapped at CJ. "Like it's any business of yours."

"Fuck you, Sweet!" Kendl said right in Sweet's face. "What an asshole." She stormed away, no longer taking any more of Sweet's tirades.

"Oh, shit - here we go again," CJ muttered.

"This shit's real fucked up!" Sweet growled. "Everything!"

"What you mean?" CJ asked.

"What, apart from your Mother being dead?" Sweet asked sternly. "Things are going real bad. Here, let me show you, running man."

He guided CJ around the cemetery to show the past tombstones of the members that were murdered just last year.

"Tony's buried over there," he started to say pointing to the tombstones. "Little Devil over there, Big Devil over there. Man, it's just crazy - everybody blasts on fools first then asks questions second."

As Sweet stormed away in disgust, CJ took a look at the tombstones that Sweet mentioned earlier, starting with Tony's.

**Tony "T-Murder" Watkins**

**July 9, 1970 – November 20, 1991**

He then came across Little Devil's Tombstone.

**Lionel "Little Devil" Wilks**

**November 20, 1965 – September 29, 1991**

The last was Big Devil's tombstone.

**Nevelle "Big Devil" Wilks**

**April 9, 1964 – October 30, 1991**

All three of them were murdered just last year. T-Murder was close friends with CJ and Ryder and acted as Ryder's surrogate brother, and the Devil brothers were much closer to Sweet and Big Smoke. The 1990s had so far become the most dangerous decade for the Grove Street family gang, and there was no telling what premonition CJ and the remaining friends would face in the future.

* * *

After a while, CJ walked alongside Sweet, Big Smoke, and Ryder to exit the cemetery to approach Big Smoke's car, only to spot a Ballas' Voodoo car appear doing a drive-by at them. Ryder began ducking out of the way while Sweet took his pistol out and started shooting at them. The Ballas continued firing until they blew up Big Smoke's Perennial.

"Aww, motherfucker!" Big Smoke shouted furiously. "My car!"

"We gotta get back to the 'hood, man, it's too crazy round here!" Sweet warned. "Grab a bike and pedal, even you ain't forgotten that! Follow my lead!"

They spotted four bicycles across the street up ahead and each took one to pedal away. While the other three had pedaled hard, CJ was still struggling to catch up.

"Takes you back some, huh, CJ?" Sweet called to his brother as the four rode through Market Street. "Yeah!"

"Things had changed around here!" CJ replied panting.

"CJ, watch your back around here, man!" Sweet shouted looking back to find the Ballas' Voodoo vehicle right behind.

"How'd it get so bad?!" CJ asked. "I thought this was family's turf!"

"Yeah, it's Temple Drive Families!" Sweet corrected. "We don't roll with them no more!"

The four pedaled through Temple, where they made a right turn, and the made another right turn, where they pedaled straight to the Mulholland Intersection.

Move it, CJ!" Sweet called to CJ. "Move it!"

Just then, the Ballas Voodoo caught up to Sweet. "Shit!" Sweet shouted pedaling away. "A Ballas car is onto us! Split up!"

CJ looked ahead to find Big Smoke and Ryder right up ahead.

"Keep up, motherfucker!" Ryder snapped at CJ.

CJ just shook his head. It had been five years since he came back from Liberty City, and Ryder, his childhood friend, says those three words to him for the first time since then, especially after the foursome had just left CJ and Sweet's mother's funeral.

"You just a liability, CJ!" Ryder taunted as CJ followed him and Smoke. "Why you bother coming back?!"

Those words really stabbed CJ. He knew he had lost all respect from his friend from childhood after leaving Los Santos five years ago.

"Straight back into the game, right dog?" Big Smoke called out as the trio pedaled through Downtown Los Santos. "Was it this bad before you left? East Coast got you all thinned down holmes."

"Move it CJ!" Ryder growled at CJ as the trio pedaled through Glen Park. "You're embarrassing us nigga!"

CJ followed his two friends through the city, past the skate park, across the freeway, and past Idlewood, where they narrowly avoided the Ballas Voodoo car. Finally, they made it to Ganton Street, where they met up with Sweet.

* * *

"I got with them motherfuckers though," Ryder bragged. "Showed them niggas who's gangsta. Ryder, nigga!"

Ryder was the loose cannon of the gang. He had a fiery temper and a mean streak that was difficult for anyone else to match. Sweet had always considered Ryder the black Tony Montana due to his temper and wild impulse. Despite being one of the most badass members of the gang, Ryder was also slightly challenged educationally, as he would often have the tendency to make rather dumb decisions at times. He currently started doing wheelies around the other three members, apparently lost in his own world.

"So when you leaving, Carl?" Sweet asked CJ eagerly.

"I ain't sure," CJ shrugged. "Thought I might stay. Things is fucked up."

"Well the last thing we need is your help," Sweet told him bluntly.

"Aw man, I won't let you down," CJ complained. "I swear."

"Hey, we're gonna call up some 'hood rats and chill the hell out," Sweet said. "You want some?"

"I gotta whole lot going on, and I'm tired," CJ groaned. "I'll catch ya'll later."

"Hey yo' just drop in," Big Smoke told him. "We all hangin' out."

"Gyeah," Ryder chimed in coming to an abrupt stop and staring at CJ up and down. "And get yo'self some colors, fool – and a haircut! It's embarrassing to be seen with you!"

* * *

The other three rode off, and CJ stored his bike into the garage. He walked inside his mother's house and scaled the stairs. As he looked around the bedroom, he saw a picture on the wall, which appeared to be a family picture of his family and friends. He slowly pulled it off the wall and took a hard stare at it.

Everyone was there – his friends and family. The date was on November 3, 1991, his mother's birthday party at Glen Park just last year. CJ let out a sad sigh. He had wished he was still there with his mother when she really needed him. He felt incredibly guilty about this and couldn't live that moment down. For now, he was very tired of not sleeping on the plane last night and finally plopped onto his mother's mattress to fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4: Ryder

Hours had elapsed, and CJ woke up to check the clock. It was 8:39 PM. He gazed out the window to find the sky as a bright orange evening vibe. CJ sat over the edge of the bed and stretched his arms out. He stepped onto his feet and slowly walked out of the bedroom. It felt good to be back in his hometown after five years. So he decided to see his friend Ryder to talk to him. He knew that Ryder didn't forgive him for leaving to Liberty City five years ago. But he still felt that he should check up on his friend.

As CJ walked outside, he heard his cellphone ring. He pulled it out of his pocket to answer it.

"Hello?" CJ answered.

"Thought I'd explain some shit," he heard Sweet answer.

"Sweet," CJ answered. "Hey, wassup?"

"Since you been away, shit has changed around here," Sweet explained. "Grove Street Families ain't big no more. Seville Boulevard Familes and Temple Drive Families are beefing, and split with the Grove. Now we so busy set-trippin' Ballas and Vagos have taken over. So watch yo'self out there."

"Yeah, I hear you," CJ replied. "Thanks for the heads up."

"Don't mention it," Sweet replied.

* * *

CJ hung up the phone and went to Ryder's house next door. He knocked on the door.

"Yo Ryder!" CJ called. No answer.

He saw that the door was unlocked and slowly walked in. Inside, he heard "Alwayz Into Somethin'" by NWA playing and walked through the hallway. As he approached the kitchen, he saw Ryder sitting at the table loading his pistol while smoking a joint. He was a short gangster who had on a green windbreaker, baggy blue denim pants, black Retro 5 sneakers, and rocked a baseball cap with the words "San Andreas" printed on front over his curly hair and black shades over his eyes. Ryder just noticed CJ walking in as he looked up.

"Hey man, what you want?" Ryder asked, not sounding interested in seeing CJ.

"Seeing my homie," CJ replied trying to get his childhood friend eager to welcome him. "What's up with you?"

"Yeah, homie," Ryder replied, not bothering looking up and still sounding uninterested, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah yeah. It's good to see you back."

Ryder continued loading his pistol, still not bothering to strike a conversation with CJ. CJ just sighed in disappointment. His trusted friend wasn't happy to see him back. He was still steamed of the fact that he left Los Santos five years ago.

"No homie love?" CJ asked, feeling rather upset of Ryder's reaction of rejecting a warm welcome. "No hug."

Ryder reluctantly rose off his seat and walked up to CJ. "Oh, f'sho f'sho, my nigga," he replied as he gave CJ a quick hug. "My bad. What's crackin' with you?"

CJ then noticed Ryder's pistol on the table. "Hey, man, what you strapped fo'?" he asked Ryder.

"Man, some pizza place keeps painting over our hit up, man!" Ryder told him. "Shit is beautiful! Teach the owner a lesson!" He walked up to the table to grab his pistol. "He's fucking with Grove Street! You down?!" he asked CJ as he cocked his pistol and strapped it to his waist.

"I'm always down," CJ replied.

Ryder reached over to pick up his joint and emptied the ashes in the ashtray nearby. "Ahh, yeah," he sighed as he placed the joint near his ear. "Let's go, bitch!"

* * *

He and CJ then headed out the door and walked to Ryder's Picador parked outside.

"Hey," Ryder told CJ hopping inside the passenger's seat. "Show me how they drive on the East Coast, homie!"

CJ just hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine. He had failed his driving test once and barely passed it on his second try right after his sixteenth birthday. Ryder used to mock CJ for failing the simple tasks while driving back then.

CJ then began to pull into the road and started driving. "Old Reece still run the barbershop?" he asked Ryder.

"Like a raggedy ass motherfucker," Ryder replied. "He popped his membrane years ago. No WAY I'd let that old fool near my head!"

"Yeah," CJ agreed. "I think I'd get cut up."

"Whatever," Ryder replied. "You got five minutes, I'll be cutting you up like a DJ. So when you running off again?"

"I'm not," CJ answered. "I'm thinkin' of staying."

"Why?" Ryder asked.

"My family," CJ responded. "All the homies are here,"

"We were always here, fool," Ryder told him.

"Yeah, but now I'm back," CJ said as he drove through Idlewood and saw the barbershop up ahead, "and I know what I've been missing."

"Don't expect me to kiss yo' ass or nuthin'," Ryder told him as CJ parked in front of the barbershop. "You still a busta to me."

"Yeah, OK," CJ said sarcastically as he unbuckled his seat-belt and stepped out of the vehicle. "Thanks homie."

"Don't mention it," Ryder replied backfiring CJ's sarcastic comment.

* * *

CJ just walked up to the barbershop, where he saw Old Reece at the chair. He was an old man, somewhere in his 60s or 70s, with big round glasses and gray hair. He wore a blue shirt over gray pants and had clippers in his hands.

"CJ," he greeted. "Welcome back. I haven't seen you in a long time."

"Yeah," CJ told him. "Nice to see you again as well."

CJ just hopped onto the chair and told the barber to give him the classic bald fade. It took about fifteen minutes until CJ's haircut was finally finished. He stared at the mirror to see himself in a high fade, where only some short hair was left on the top while the rest around his head was completely shaved.

CJ paid the barber and exited the shop. "Tell Big Smoke he needs a cut," he heard Reece say.

_Damn, _CJ thought. _Ryder wasn't lying. That fool IS crazy._

* * *

He stepped outside to find Ryder leaning against his vehicle smoking a joint. He studied CJ's haircut hard. "Shit!" he uttered. "I told you he was crazy! Man, you jacked up!"

Ryder turned to his left and looked at that direction.

"Man, what's this?" he asked himself. "Shit looks ridiculous."

He stopped to smoke his joint again. "No respect for the 'hood," Ryder uttered with smoke coming through his mouth. "All clean and shit. Looking too skinny, CJ. Go and get us something to eat. I'm gonna finish this. Then I'm going to take care of business."

CJ just walked across the street and entered the Well Stacked Pizza restaurant up ahead. He ordered the Buster meal and took his food to the counter to enjoy.

* * *

By the time CJ had finished, Ryder had entered the restaurant and put on a black transparent mask. He took his pistol out of his pocket and slowly walked up to the counter.

"Give up the money!" he barked pointing his pistol at the manager at the register. "This a raid!"

"Ryder, not this again!" the store manager protested sounding uninterested.

"It ain't me, fool!" Ryder shouted.

"No one else is that small," the manager muttered. "I feel sorry for your dad."

CJ just slapped himself on the forehead in disbelief and turned to his stoned friend. "Shit, you crazy!" he told Ryder bluntly. "Let's get on outta here!"

"Same old CJ!" Ryder said lowering his pistol to his side. "Busta! Straight busta!"

Before either one of them knew it, the manager had pulled out a shotgun and shot at the two friends. Ryder was now outmatched.

"Ah shit!" he yelled as he and CJ dashed out of the restaurant. "Run!"

"This pizza parlor's no pushover!" the manager shouted as he chased after the two.

* * *

But CJ and Ryder had already hopped inside the vehicle. "Whatcha waiting for, fool?" Ryder told CJ. "Take us back to the Grove, motherfucker!"

CJ complied and drove as quickly as he could. "Seriously, man, what was with you back there?" CJ asked.

"I told you I wanted to teach that owner a lesson," Ryder replied. "Guess I should've came better strapped. But it's all good. Once me and the Grove Street Families take back our 'hood, ain't nobody gonna be fucking with us!"

"Okay, homie," CJ replied. He finally made it back to Ganton Street and dropped Ryder back to his place.

"Better drop by and see Sweet," Ryder told CJ. "He been yapping on about that graffiti too. Later, homie."

CJ watched as Ryder entered his house. He had plenty of time to see Sweet. So he decided to go to Sweet's house to see about the tagging.


	5. Chapter 5: Tagging Up Turf

CJ headed to Sweet's house to find Sweet and Big Smoke playing one-on-one basketball on the court on the side, with Sweet on the defensive end as Smoke tried to back him down.

"C'mon, fat boy," Sweet chanted trying to steal the ball from Big Smoke. "C'mon, fat boy. Fat boy - look at you, look at..."

"Yeah, yeah, watch out, fool," Smoke said. "Watch this, watch this..."

Smoke laughed as he quickly zoomed past Sweet and scored a slam dunk just as CJ approached the two.

"Look who's here," Sweet sneered. "It's running man. What, you think you back on the set?"

"I told you that, bro," CJ replied.

"Your word don't mean shit around here," Sweet said.

"C'mon, man, gimme a break," CJ complained.

"We gotta go hit up the hood," Sweet told him.

"Hey, CJ," Big Smoke greeted approaching CJ while carrying the ball to his left side.

"Let them know you're back on the set," Sweet continued. "The Johnson brothers are rolling again.

Sweet took a paint can out of his back pocket and handed it to CJ. "Take this paint and go hit shit up," Sweet ordered. "Start with our own set first".

"Later on, we'll spread out and take the whole hood back," Big Smoke chimed in.

"You already spreading out, fat man," Sweet told him snatching the ball out of Smoke's hands. "Now let's play."

As CJ started to leave, Sweet and Big Smoke continued their game. "Let's see what you got, porkchop," Sweet told Big Smoke, and they began playing their game.

* * *

CJ was just about to leave when he was stopped by Sweet, just as Smoke parted ways.

"Hey, wait up!" Sweet called

"Thought you'd hang with your brother, huh?" CJ told him grinning smugly.

"Aw, ease up little man," Sweet protested. "C'mon, it's been difficult. You wanna drive?"

"Yeah, for sure," CJ replied as he and Sweet entered Sweet's Greenwood vehicle and drove away. CJ drove straight down the road, arriving in Idlewood, where he made a left turn. To his left was a graffiti marking that said "Front Yard Ballas on the wall of the bridge.

CJ parked the car to the side and he and Sweet exited the vehicle.

"Watch for those rollers as I tag this up," Sweet ordered CJ as he walked up to the graffiti.

As CJ looked around for any Ballas gang member, Sweet sprayed the tag over the Ballas tag on the side of the bridge, titling it "Grove St. 4 Life".

"There's another two Balla tags in the hood," Sweet told CJ. "You go get 'em and I'll keep the engine running."

* * *

As Sweet got to his vehicle, CJ oriented around Idlewood in search of the two tags Sweet mentioned to him earlier. He spotted a tag painting on the front of a house that read "Front Yard Ballas". So he walked up to the graffiti and tagged it with "Grove St. 4 Life". CJ then went to the backyard and hopped the stone wall from behind. He spotted another graffiti tag on the wall and tagged over that as well.

CJ looked around to make sure there weren't any of the Ballas sticking around. He ran through the street and found Sweet's Greenwood up ahead. He hopped inside and began driving.

"C'mon let's cruise into Ballas territory," Sweet told him.

_Ah shit, _CJ thought excitedly. _We about to tag the Ballas' turf!_

* * *

So CJ drove through the neighborhood and arrived in East Los Santos, coming to an abrupt park

"You hit this up here, and I'll go up and do another hood," Sweet ordered as he dropped CJ off. He sped away, leaving CJ to take care of the tag in East Los Santos.

CJ looked around and finally came across one of the Ballas' graffiti tags. He quickly walked up to it and sprayed over the tag with his own graffiti. After that, he strolled around the neighborhood to find some more tags.

As he got through the alleyway, he spotted two of the Ballas gang members. They were dressed in purple, both of them wearing purple bandanas. CJ wasn't afraid of them. In spite of not being armed, he still had a paint can in his hand. So he casually walked towards the two gang members.

"What the fuck?!" one of them said as they both spotted CJ.

"Get that fool!" the other member barked as they both put up their fists to fight CJ, who sprayed the paint in their faces in self-defense. The Ballas covered their faces, trying to wipe the paint out of their eyes. CJ then spray painted his own tag on the Ballas' tag, only to be spotted by the police. CJ quickly avoided them and ran around the block, He ran down the alleyway and hopped a fence behind one of the buildings, in which he hopped onto a box and scaled the building, in which he spotted one of the Ballas tags on the wall of the roof, which he quickly tagged.

* * *

Just then, Sweet drove back into the neighborhood. "CARL!" he shouted at his brother. "QUICK, GET IN!"

CJ complied with Sweet's demands and hopped off of the roof. He entered the driver's seat of the vehicle as Sweet lid to the passenger's seat.

"Get us back to the hood, CJ!" Sweet ordered.

CJ said nothing and complied with his brother's orders. He made a left turn, drove straight down the bridge, and made another left turn to Ganton Street, where he drove straight ahead until he reached Sweet's house.

* * *

The two brothers exited the vehicle and stared at each other face-to-face.

"Like riding a bike, ain't it, boy?" Sweet told CJ.

"Yeah, it all comes back," CJ agreed.

"How you doin' on the feddy?" Sweet asked CJ.

"I'm kinda short, you know," CJ told him. "C.R.A.S.H. took all my paper, man, left me with nothing but small change."

"Here," Sweet said giving CJ some cash. "Get yourself a beer or something. I'll catch up with you."

Sweet then walked inside his house. CJ looked around to find that the sky was becoming even darker. He had had a long evening and decided it was now time for him to hit the sack.

* * *

As he walked inside his mother's house, he went back into his mother's bedroom and picked up the picture of his mother, siblings, and friends at Glen Park. He still regretted not being around for his mother's final birthday. It especially didn't help that beside his two living siblings, his friends were also there, looking as if they had a good time as well.

CJ was just contemplating going back to Liberty City right away when he heard his cellphone ring. He pulled it out to answer it.

"Carl, it's Officer Hernandez," he heard Officer Jimmy Hernandez say over the phone.

"Who?" CJ asked.

"Officer Hernandez," Hernandez reiterated. "I work with Tenpenny and Pulaski."

"Ah, the bitch!" CJ answered flippantly. "What the hell you want?"

"Hey, show me some respect, boy," Hernandez told him trying not to get on CJ's bad side.

"Go fuck yourself," CJ told him ignoring his previous answer. "You just they bitch!"

"You watch your tone, boy," Hernandez told him sounding slightly sterner. "Now listen, I've got a message from Officer Tenpenny. Don't try and leave town! That would be a big mistake. You hear me? We're watching you, boy!"

"Whatever you say, bitch," CJ replied, and he hung up the phone.

So it turned out that Officer Hernandez had made up CJ's mind for him. CJ wasn't allowed to leave Los Santos now. And the scary part? He was actually glad! Feeling satisfied, CJ lay on his mother's mattress and fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6: Cleaning the Hood

CJ woke up the next morning. He never felt any more comfortable sleeping back inside his mother's house. He stared at the ground and found his mother's picture on the floor. He sighed in sadness and wished that he could've listened to his mother during the day Brian was killed. Now thanks to his decision, his mother was now with her youngest son.

This is why CJ was glad he wasn't allowed to leave town. He wanted to redeem himself and help out his brother and friends and gain back their respect for him. He had no clothes to change into. So he left on the clothes he had now and decided to see Sweet.

CJ dashed downstairs and looked around the kitchen. He spotted a box of cereal on top of the refrigerator and grabbed the box. He searched into the cabinet for a bowl and the drawer for a spoon. He took them to the table in the dining room, poured the cereal and milk inside the bowl, and enjoyed his breakfast. As he ate, he thought about how his gang would find their way back on top in the 1990s. The Ballas and Vagos have taken over the whole town, and it was only a matter of time until all of the members of his gang were all eliminated.

After he finished his breakfast, he decided to go see his brother and headed out of the door. He entered his brother's house and walked through the hallway, where he heard Sweet and Big Smoke having a conversation inside the kitchen. Big Smoke and Sweet were sitting at the table while Ryder was leaning against the counter smoking his joint.

* * *

"Hey, you gotta keep it real, man," Big Smoke was telling Sweet.

"Man, nobody give a shit about the hood," Sweet told him as he rose out of his seat and walked to the refrigerator.

"I do!" Smoke protested.

"All they do is sell yay and ruin the place," Sweet replied as he opened the fridge door. "No crack ever made a gang tight."

"I don't know man," Big Smoke said.

CJ walked in just in time. "Whassup, y'all?" CJ greeted.

"Whassup, CJ?" Sweet greeted back.

"What's cracking?" Ryder replied giving CJ some dap.

"Man, all they care about is smokin' and money," Sweet continued.

"You can't knock a homie's hustle, Sweet," Big Smoke told him.

"Them marks ain't soldiers," Sweet said returning to Smoke. "They're idiots trying to be business men."

"Yeah, but they're down with us, man," Smoke tried to convince Sweet.

"All they down with is money," Sweet replied

He then turned to CJ. "CJ," he told him, "go down there and show these fools you mean business. These chumps from the Ballas are sweating the homies. Go put pressure on them. Just do it."

"We been putting time in the hood, but we gotta get the homies back together...like the old days," CJ said.

"Yeah," Ryder added in agreement.

"Yeah, you right!" Sweet said. "So you and Ryder go handle your business!"

He then turned back to Smoke. "Man, they'd slang to their own momma," Sweet continued. "They don't care about nothing."

"You're naive, my friend," Big Smoke told him. "We gotta keep our focus."

CJ and Ryder began exited out of the kitchen, with Ryder smoking his joint.

"We need some back up," CJ told Ryder. "You seen B Dup?"

Ryder released the joint out of his mouth and struggled to catch his breath. "Nah," he grunted, "but him and homeboy Bear they'd be good to have on our side."

"Oh! Big Bear?" CJ uttered ecstatically. "Yeah, them base slangers going to be sorry now."

* * *

B-Dup and Big Bear were high-ranking members of the Grove Street Families. Big Bear was the muscle of the gang and very proficient at not just street-fighting, but weaponry. When it came to melee weapons, he never missed his target and could beat down a Balla pusher just as brutally as he could with his bare hands.

On the other hand, B-Dup wasn't a slouch himself when it came to putting in work as well. He was just as determined as a soldier and was down with taking out the Ballas just as much. This would be easy for CJ and Ryder.

Ryder grabbed a bat that was leaning against the wall adjacent to the front door. "Hey, B Dup is only a couple blocks away," he told CJ as they walked outside.

"The hood's all messed up, huh?" CJ asked his friend.

"Gyeah," Ryder replied. "You try to get any of these crack heads to help you out."

CJ and Ryder entered Sweet's Greenwood, with CJ taking the wheel.

"No wonder the Families ain't up on it," CJ muttered.

"Apart from Smoke, Sweet, and you know, yours truly, Grove Street don't bang no more," Ryder responded.

"Yeah, just get blown," CJ agreed.

"F'sho," Ryder replied.

* * *

The two friends finally arrived at the apartment buildings and exited the car. They walked inside and strolled down the hall, with CJ prancing ahead of the rows of doors.

"Hey, slow down, fool," Ryder chided. "You don't even know which door it is."

"Whatever, man," CJ said stopping in front of the third door ahead. "This it?"

"Yeah, this it right here," Ryder responded.

CJ started knocking. "Open up!" he called. He turned back to Ryder. "You sure he still live here?" CJ asked.

"Fool, I told you this it," Ryder told him.

CJ continued knocking on the door. "Open up!" he called once again.

"Who the fuck is it?" he heard B-Dup ask. The door opened slightly. There was B-Dup, who appeared to be an African-American gangster wearing a blue chore jacket, baggy matching denim pants, and a brown baseball cap. He looked up and down at CJ. "CJ?" he asked. "What the fuck you want? Get the fuck outta here."

He started to close the door on him. But CJ held it back. "Wait, hold up man!" CJ protested. "What happened to "4 life", nigga?"

"The only thing that matters is the hood, homie," B-Dup responded. "But you'll never understand what getting this money is like. You know what, man? Get the fuck outta here before you be laying on your back."

He then turned to the back. "Big Bear!" he called. "Come check this fool!"

CJ took a quick glance at Big Bear - and was astonished of what he just saw. Big Bear had noticeably lost a lot of weight and had now become one of the crack addicts. How Ryder and the rest of the active Grove Street Families members just found out about this was beyond CJ's understanding.

"Hey, Bear?!" CJ called. "Big Bear, that's you? Hey, you still from the hood, homie, or what?"

"Nah," B-Dup told CJ. "The only thing Bear give a fuck about is smoking and keeping my house clean." He then turned to Bear. "Ain't that right, Big Bear?"

"Hell yeah," Big Bear replied.

"Hell yeah, what?!" B-Dup asked in a demanding tone.

"Hell yeah sir!" Big Bear answered.

"Now go make that motherfucking toilet sparkle!" B-Dup ordered.

"Oh no man!" Ryder grunted in frustration.

It became even more astonishing to CJ. Not only was Big Bear a crack addict, he was also a slave of B-Dup, who had now lost interest in helping Grove Street.

"No man," CJ groaned. "Bear! Come on!"

"Everyone likes to party sometimes, CJ," Big Bear told him not looking up. "I'll see you around."

"Stay the fuck from around here, punk!" B-Dup growled to CJ.

"Hey, nigga, fuck you!" CJ shot back.

He and Ryder turned to leave as B-Dup quickly shut the door behind them.

"Damn...this shit's fucked up," Ryder grumbled as he and CJ started walking to the exit.

"I see what you mean now, man," CJ agreed. "If crack can do that to Big Bear, turn him into a base slave, the average motherfucker ain't got a chance."

"Damn dope fiends and drug addicts everywhere in this city!" Ryder grunted in anger. "Piss me off."

CJ wasn't too upset though. It just meant that he and Ryder got to put in work around the 'hood together. "Looks like it's up to us then," CJ told Ryder.

* * *

The two headed outside and returned to the vehicle

"Let's just cruise through the hood and find us somebody selling," Ryder told CJ

CJ drove around the neighborhood and spotted a drug dealer selling to one of the Grove Street gang members their drugs.

"Hey, check it out!" Ryder said. "Somebody's selling to one of the homies."

CJ then exited the car and ran to the drug dealer.

"Hey partner I'm working man, what you need, what you need dog?" the drug dealer asked.

"Yeah," CJ replied. "I need you to keep that shit you selling out of our turf, asshole!"

CJ beat down the drug dealer and knocked him out unconscious. Ryder caught up to CJ to observe the unconscious drug dealer.

* * *

"Man, I know this cat!" Ryder declared. "He a punk, used run with a Front Yard Balla OG from Idlewood. I know his place, it's just across the tracks there. Let's check it out."

"Eh, ain't that Front Yard turf?" CJ asked.

"Man, are you a busta?" Ryder asked, looking rather annoyed of CJ's rhetorical question.

"No, I'm down homie!" CJ answered, and he stomped hard on the unconscious dealer's head, killing him.

* * *

"Hey!" Ryder told CJ. "Grab hold of that bat over there!"

CJ spotted the baseball bat lying on the front lawn and picked it up. He hopped back inside the vehicle, with Ryder joining him, and drove to the house across the train tracks.

"Man, we on a serious mission now," CJ said.

"Man, don't sweat it homie," Ryder told him. "Everybody in the hood knows Ballas are pussies."

CJ then pulled up in front of the crack den in Crystal Gardens.

"Oo-ee!" Ryder uttered. "Man you can smell a crack den a mile away!"

"Yeah, let's shoot through and introduce ourselves," CJ said as he and Ryder exited the vehicle.

* * *

They then entered the crack den, where there were several Ballas gang members lying on the floor. "Good afternoon, Balla dope pushers!" Ryder said as he approached one of the members. "Grove Street OG's come to do damage!"

Ryder then hit one of the Ballas gang members on drugs with his bat.

"Fuck them Grove Street fools!" a drug dealer armed with a baseball bat shouted emerging from one of the room.

"Grove Street's going down!" another Ballas member shouted, also armed with a baseball bat.

"Ninja these motherfuckers!" Ryder ordered as he and CJ started attacking.

While Ryder whacked one Ballas member with his bat, CJ attacked the other member as well. As he and Ryder each knocked out each of the Ballas members with a blow to the head each, CJ beat down the drug dealer, knocking out all of them.

* * *

CJ and Ryder then left the crack den and to the vehicle parked outside.

"Now Ballas know Grove Street Families on their way back up," CJ said as he entered the vehicle inside.

"F' sho, homie," Ryder replied hopping inside. "And what's more, you didn't even run out on me. Time's changing..."

"Aww man," CJ said as he drove straight down back to Ganton Street. "They gonna be mad at us."

"Man, I'll warn the gang later," Ryder told him. "For now, let's just bask in the silence of victory, motherfucker."

CJ and Ryder finally arrived at their street and faced each other.

"Now that the base ain't getting pushed up in their faces, maybe these fools should be up for some real bangin'!" Ryder said.

"Yeah," CJ agreed. "Grove gonna get back on its feet now for sure though."

Ryder nodded in agreement. "Later, homie!" he said as he walked right back inside Sweet's house.

CJ was satisfied, as even though Big Bear and B-Dup proved to neglect their assistance, at least he still had his brother and two friends to back him up. Since he wasn't leaving town, he was glad to help the gang out. So CJ decided to walk back inside his mother's house and waited for his next mission.


	7. Chapter 7: Drive-Thru

CJ spent the next hours staying at the house. He played his old video game he and Brian took turns playing. Then he decided to watch a little television and saw that _The Fresh Prince of Bel Air _was on. The show was his favorite comedy sitcom. He couldn't get enough of the show and always laugh whenever he would watch it.

He stayed inside the house all day until 8: 56 PM, when he decided to see Sweet and the other two friends of his. As he exited the door, he looked around to see the beautiful summer sunset outside, mixed with bright orange, red, and yellow colors in the sky. He then went to Sweet's house, where he saw the trio exiting out of the front door.

"What's happenin' with you, Ryder?" he greeted Ryder, the first one to leave the door. Ryder returned the handshake gesture CJ gave him.

Sweet and Big Smoke were still arguing. "Respect has to be earned, Sweet, just like money," Big Smoke told Sweet.

"So what you saying?" Sweet asked coldly. "You don't respect me?"

"What I'm saying is..." Big Smoke started to say.

"Speak up, nigga!" Sweet demanded stepping into Smoke's face ready to confront him.

CJ and Ryder stopped to listen to Smoke's answer. "I'm hungry!" Smoke finally blurted out laughing, causing the other three to just shift away in response.

"A man cannot live on bread alone!" Big Smoke protested. "I've tried that! Carl, you look a little thin, man! You gotta be hungry, man!"

"Yeah, I could eat!" CJ agreed.

"Man, what you fools trying to eat?" Ryder asked. "How about some tacos?"

"Tacos?" Sweet asked. "Again? Hell no!"

"Chicken, man," Big Smoke decided. "No discussion."

"Man, I don't want no chicken," Ryder grumbled in disagreement.

* * *

The trio walked over to Sweet's Greenwood. "Carl, you drive," Sweet ordered. "Smoke look like he about to pass out."

Sweet and Big Smoke hopped inside the back while Ryder got into the passenger seat. CJ hopped into the driver's seat and started driving.

As he made his way to Cluckin' Bell, he was curious about how his mother was killed.

"How Moms get killed?" CJ asked Sweet. "We gotta talk about it."

"We all gotta talk about it," Ryder declared. "They was goin' for Sweet."

"How you supposed to know that?" Smoke growled. "You know what people are like. Say they have love for you, but won't say a word. Too damn scared."

"Some people say they saw a Green Sabre doin' the work, then speedin' away," Ryder replied.

"Yeah, but people like to talk, don't they?" Smoke said. "Anyways, that's half of Santos you talking about right there!"

"You right," Ryder said. "My bad."

"Hey, bro?" CJ asked Sweet as he made his way to Cluckin' Bell just down WIllowfield.

"They sprayed the house," Sweet answered. "I ain't seen shit."

CJ decided not to question it anymore, as he knew how upset his brother was now that their mother was deceased. So he pulled into the parking area and drove to the drive thru.

* * *

"What you want, Carl?" Big Smoke asked him. "You gotta eat to keep your strength up."

_Yeah, _CJ thought. _Keep my strength up from eating some greasy ass chicken from a fast food joint. Thanks for the advice, fat man!_

"I'll take a number nine, fat boy," CJ answered staring at the menu.

Ryder took a quick glance at the menu up ahead as well. "Gimme a number nine, just like his," he answered nonchalantly.

"Let me get a number six with extra dip," Sweet said.

It was time for Smoke to make the order. "I'll have two number nines, a number nine large, a number six with extra dip, a number seven, two number 45s, one with cheese, and a large soda!" he declared.

CJ and Ryder just stared back at the fat man in confusion. He had ordered three meals for himself in addition to repeating the other three's order. It wasn't a wonder why Big Smoke was fat to begin with.

_Man, what the fuck is a number 45? _CJ thought.

CJ then stared back at Sweet. "Hey sorry, bro," he told him. "You know I gotta know about Moms, man."

"I know, CJ, I know," Sweet answered. "I mean I'm just trying not to think about it, is all. I mean, I didn't even know she was hit until it was all over."

"Yeah, right, right, right, right, right!" Big Smoke chimed in trying to change the subject as he picked up the food from the window. "Let's eat."

CJ pulled up to the exit of the drive thru and came to a complete stop. He and Ryder looked around.

"Hey, don't we got beef around here?" Ryder asked. "We been gettin' into it with these fools!"

"I can't stand cold food!" Big Smoke said passing Ryder's order to him. "Unlike you, I ain't never ate from a trash can."

Ryder then snatched his order out of Smoke's hands. "Ah man," CJ said chuckling. "Trash can bitch!"

"Pass me my food," Sweet ordered Smoke.

Just then, the foursome spotted a red Ballas Voodoo car rolling up front.

"Hey, hey, look!" Ryder whispered. "Kilo Tray's scoping us out!"

"Damn, Ryder, you a jinx!" Sweet said.

"Shit, them motherfuckers headed to the 'hood!" CJ said as the Voodoo turned to reverse.

"DRIVE-BY!" Sweet bellowed as he and Ryder ducked below to pull out their pistols.

* * *

"Hit it!" Sweet ordered CJ. "Go, go go! Hit the gas, we gotta ice these niggas!"

CJ complied and raced towards the Voodoo while Sweet and Ryder fired at the vehicle. Big Smoke, however, just took the rest of the food, not bothering to even lift a finger to help out.

"Why you ain't blastin', Smoke?!" Ryder asked as he and Sweet continued firing at the Ballas' Voodoo car.

"I'll shoot 'em when I'm done eatin'!" Smoke declared.

"Quit stuffin' your motherfucking mouth!" CJ snapped at the voracious fat man. "Let's go!"

"I ain't stuffin' it, homie! I'm enjoying my meal! Hey kill that asshole! Shit, this a great sandwich!"

Big Smoke rapidly ate everybody else's food without even attempting to even reach for his weapon to help Sweet and Ryder as CJ drove them to the Ballas' vehicle.

"Smoke, stop stuffing yo' face and start popping them Ballas!" Ryder chastised Big Smoke.

"I'm just enjoying my food!" Smoke protested with a mouthful of food.

"And them fools are trying to enjoy our deaths!" Sweet replied. "Now c'mon, Smoke, shoot!"

"Hey, I'm just finishing my fries!" Smoke responded trying to grab the bag of fries, only to drop them all on Ryder's front seat and the ketchup spilled onto Ryder's pant leg and on his seat. "My special!" Big Smoke cried out.

"Ah shit!" Ryder growled. "You got ketchup all over the seat!"

"The business at hand, motherfucker!" Big Smoke said. "The business at hand!"

"But these was clean pants!" Ryder replied as CJ made a sharp turn around the road. "CJ, watch the damn road!"

"Chill, motherfucker!" Big Smoke shouted scooping up the fries off Ryder's seat and stuffing them into his mouth. "This ain't a Sunday drive situation!"

As Sweet and Ryder finally caused the Ballas' vehicle to catch fire, the gang exited the burning car, and CJ came to an abrupt stop, spilling a cup of soda onto the floor.

"My soda!" Ryder cried out in anger. "It's all over the fucking floor!"

"Well you can suck it up once we're done!" Sweet told him. "Now keep your eyes on the Ballas car!"

Sweet and Ryder then killed the remaining Ballas members and escaped just in time to avoid the subsequent explosion. This gave CJ an opportunity to drive back to his street in Ganton.

"Man!" Ryder said. "That was some serious shit!"

"Yeah," Sweet agreed. "Those Balla fools won't try that again! Carl, let's get back to the Grove!"

"Alright!" CJ replied. "I'm on it!"

"Man," Smoke said rubbing his fat belly. "That food filled the hole!"

"You chubby motherfucker!" Ryder growled at Smoke. "Next time, you better start blasting or I'ma blast you myself!"

"Smoke, you're wide, man, I mean WIIDE!" Sweet told the fat man.

"Yeah!" Big Smoke chuckled. "And that's why you love me baby!"

* * *

CJ made his way back to his street and parked in front of Sweet's house.

"That's one up for the Grove!" Big Smoke boasted.

"Say what, Smoke?" Ryder responded staring at Big Smoke sideways. "All you managed to do was eat my damn food up!"

"Yeah, it was gettin' cold!" the fat man chuckled.

"Y'all comin' in for a beer?" Sweet asked.

"Nah, baby," Big Smoke said. "I need to get back to the crib. CJ, gimme a ride?"

"Alright, Smoke," CJ said. "Let's go. See y'all later."

Sweet and Ryder exited the car and walked into Sweet's house. Smoke's house was all the way to Idlewood, and CJ wondered why he would move into a neighborhood where the Ballas resided.

"What was with you back there, Smoke?" CJ asked Big Smoke.

"Man, if you can eat your food while everybody else is losing theirs, and blaming you, you straight, homie!" Big Smoke equivocated.

"What?" CJ asked confused of what his friend just said.

"Nothing, nothing," Big Smoke replied rapidly. "Just some poetry I read.

"Aye, Smoke," CJ said as he arrived at Idlewood, "tell me why you moved out of the Grove!"

"Man," Big Smoke started explaining, "I got some money from my aunt. I mean, this a nice place and all, but the Grove is in my heart, baby, it's where my dogs is at."

"Yeah, okay, homie!" CJ replied as he parked in front of Big Smoke's house.

"Hey, thanks, Carl," Big Smoke told CJ. "Hey, I've missed having you around, baby."

"Thanks, man," CJ said. "I wish Sweet thought like that."

"He don't mean it, CJ," Big Smoke told him. "He's still real tore up about your Moms, man."

He then handed CJ some cash. "Here," he said. "Get yourself a little smokey smoke on Smoke, and relax, homie."

Big Smoke then exited the vehicle and walked back inside his house. As he disappeared inside, CJ drove straight back into his street and parked his brother's vehicle in front of the latter's house.

He hopped out of the vehicle and walked to his mother's house. He scaled the stairs and went into his mother's bedroom, where he plopped onto the mattress. It has been another long day for him, and he quickly fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8: Nines & AK's

CJ woke up the next morning to get dressed, and as he was on his way to the dresser, he heard his cellphone on the dresser ring. CJ grabbed it to answer it.

"Yeah?" CJ answered.

"Hey, CJ, it's Sweet," he heard his brother say over the phone.

"Hey, whassup?" CJ greeted.

"If you don't respect your body, ain't nobody gonna respect you," Sweet told him over the phone. "You're too skinny, CJ! You need to pack on some muscle!"

"If I wanted nagging, I'd buy a clockwork wife!" CJ replied.

"Just looking out for you, homie," Sweet told him. "It's all show and respect, y'know?"

"Yeah, I guess," CJ muttered.

There's a gym I go to a couple of blocks out from the Grove," Sweet told him. "Go check it out and get yo'self a gangsta's physique."

"I'll scope it out," CJ said. "Later, man."

* * *

So CJ decided to dress up in a tank-top and red gym shorts. He wore his black sneakers, stored his cellphone inside his pocket, and headed downstairs.

CJ exited the front door and went to his garage to get his bike. He hopped onto his bike and pedaled down the street. It was a nice sunny morning outside, and the wind blew slowly and smoothly through CJ as he rode down the street. He finally made it to the gym down the street in Ganton and parked his bike up front.

As CJ walked inside, he saw that the gymnasium included a boxing ring with boxers sparring, a treadmill, a bench press, and so dumbbells. CJ decided to start with the dumbbells. He was still too skinny to lift any heavier, so he decided to just start with the 10 lbs instead. He knew he wasn't ready for heavier dumbbells, but he didn't want to use ones that were too light either. He did 5 reps of ten, taking a break every twenty seconds. He also did some push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and some bench felt himself getting stronger as he worked out harder.

CJ also took boxing lessons from a professional trainer. He knew that if he was ever going to survive in the streets, he would have to learn how to fight. Streetfighting was much different from boxing. So CJ learned how to throw different punches and moves. It took him some time to get used to it, but after a while, he was getting the hang of it. Soon, CJ had mastered the amateur boxing lessons, and it would take him time to go advance.

After a full hour of working out, CJ decided to take a break for the day, He was feeling rather sore and wanting to rest. So he walked out of the gym and hopped onto his bicycle, riding away back home.

_Shit! _he thought. _I never knew how vigorous this working out shit was! I could've did this shit back in Liberty._

CJ made it back into his house and walked inside. He decided to take a rest for a while and watch a little television. On television was _The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, _which CJ got a lot of laughs from.

* * *

The hours had passed, and CJ looked at the clock. It was now 7:59 PM. So he decided to see what Sweet and the other guys were up to. CJ walked out of the house and walked over top Sweet's house. He looked around the street to find the afternoon sky was tinted with blazing orange colors. As he finally made it to the front door, he saw that the door was opened and walked inside.

Inside, Big Smoke and Sweet were playing dominoes on the table, with beer bottle sitting on the table as well, and Ryder was sitting on an adjacent chair keeping score while holding a notepad. "Dre Day" by Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg was also playing in the background.

"Gimme 15, motherfucker!" Big Smoke shouted out.

"I'll write it down in a second," Ryder told him sternly. "I ain't going to pencil whip you, fat sucker. Let me play first."

CJ then entered the living room. "A'ight, wassup?" he greeted the three.

"Wassup, man?" Big Smoke said giving CJ some dap.

"What's cracking?" Sweet greeted returning the gesture as well.

"Who's winning?" CJ asked staring at the dominoes on the table.

"Who you think, huh?" Big Smoke asked. "Me!"

"That's does it!" Ryder snarled as he angrily slammed the notepad heavily onto the floor. "That's game null and void, motherfuckers!"

"So, what kind of guns we working now?" CJ asked.

"One-times came through, raided the spot!" Ryder growled irascibly. "We ain't got shit now!"

"Well what you going to do if the Ballas roll through, throw shoes at them?" CJ asked. "Say, what happen at Emmet?"

Sweet just chuckled. "Emmet?" Sweet scoffed. "Shit, gangsters these days got Mac's, AK's and all kinds of stuff. Emmet, on other hand, ain't got shit."

"Well, until we got that plug, we gotta deal with cat that always been there for us," CJ replied.

"Emmet's Seville Boulevard Families," Big Smoke said silently. "We ain't too close these days, but nonetheless, I'll take you see him. Get ourselves strapped up. Come on, man."

* * *

So Big Smoke hopped out of his seat and guided CJ to the doorway. The two exited out of the house and hopped into Smoke's blue Glendale, with CJ taking the wheel.

"What happened to the families?" CJ asked as he drove straight ahead. "Where the love at?"

"Shit happens," Big Smoke equivocated. "Seville wrongs Temple, Temple wrongs Grove. Bad blood leads to bad blood. If you read the book, that's the way of the world baby!"

"Yeah, well you know you gotta keep it real," CJ told him as he drove through Willowfield.

"I admire you Carl," Big smoke replied trying to butter CJ up. "You're a leader, a visionary. Remember me when you get to the top."

"Give it a rest, Smoke," CJ said, not buying into Smoke's compliment. "You're full of shit."

* * *

CJ parked right next to an alleyway, and he and Big Smoke exited the vehicle to walk down the alley to see Emmet.

"That's my man right there, you know what I'm saying?" Big Smoke told CJ as the two met Emmet at the end of the alley.

Emmet appeared to be an elderly man wearing a red baseball cap, green jacket, and blue denim pants. He was currently at his storage fixing a Desert Eagle, which he accidentally set off. CJ and Big Smoke quickly stepped back as the weapon went off.

"Hey!" Emmet cried out. "Who shot at me?" He then turned to CJ and Big Smoke and pointed his weapon at them. "What you kids want?" he asked the two.

"Hey, hey, pops, hey, what's happenin'?" CJ uttered.

"Aren't you Beverly Johnson's boy?" Emmet asked CJ looking at him from head to toe.

"That's right," CJ answered.

"Brian!" Emmet responded staring at CJ harder. "Say, ain't you dead?"

"No, Emmet - the other one, Carl," CJ corrected.

"I'm sorry about Beverly," Emmet said somberly as he lowered his pistol.

"That's why we're here, sir," Big Smoke told him as he and CJ walked towards the elderly man. "We want to get the people who did it."

"Well, you've come to the right place," Emmet replied guiding CJ and Big Smoke to his weapon storage. "Try anything you like, boy."

Emmet opened the storage, and CJ and Big Smoke took a peek inside.

"Man, look at this old shit," Big Smoke uttered.

* * *

So CJ and Big Smoke each grabbed a pistol to practice on their shooting. There was a bottle sitting on top of one of the weapon storage.

Big Smoke demonstrated how to use the weapons by shooting the glass bottle with his pistol. "Die, little glass Balla fool!" he shouted.

Without a word, CJ just place a glass bottle on top of the storage himself and backed up before aiming at the bottle and shooting it casually.

"Ah, Beverly'd be so proud of you, boy," Emmet cheered.

Next was to shoot three different bottles at at time, and Big Smoke demonstrated. "Shit, I'm the best there ever was!" he bragged.

So CJ followed suit and shot three bottles of his own

"Yeah, that's real Grove Street style, now!" Emmet said.

Next was to shoot the same bottles while crouching. Big Smoke demonstrated by crouching and rolling before taking aim at one of the bottles. "Cap your ass!" he shouted shooting the bottle and said each sentence while shooting each bottle. "And your ass! You want some too? Ice cold, baby! I knew I was the chosen one!"

"Oh, man, check out 'Special Agent Big Smoke'!" CJ said jokingly applauding at Big Smoke's shooting.

It was CJ's turn to try the move, as he crouched down and shot down each of the bottles on top of each storage.

"Aw, you're makin' me so proud of you!" Emmet told CJ.

* * *

"Damn!" Big Smoke said. "You a killer baby, ice cold! But remember something, real strength comes from within, my brother."

"Listen to the boy," Emmet added.

"Yeah, I guess Liberty didn't soften you none, huh?" Big Smoke replied folding his arms. "Hey look, let's split. Hey, I'll see you around, Emmet."

He and CJ decided to leave Emmet's place.

"I'm 100% behind you boys," Emmet called out to the two. "But remember thins, you didn't get 'em from me. And remember this, Emmet is the place for guns! I've always got high quality merchandise. And I've been proudly serving the community for over 30 years!"

Big Smoke just laughed. "Crazy old fool," he said as he and CJ made it to his vehicle. "Hey look, you drive, man."

So CJ hopped inside the driver's seat and started the engine.

"I seen newer cannons than this strap in museums," CJ said. "Where we goin'?"

"Hey, I'm real tired, dude, drop me in my crib, baby.," Big Smoke answered.

So CJ started to drive onto the road and made a right turn on Willowfield

"What's going on, man, shit seems pretty fucked up?" CJ asked Big Smoke.

"People have to open their eyes, and their hearts, CJ," Big Smoke answered.

"What are you talking about?" CJ asked.

"I'm talking about the choices all men face, brother," Smoke answered. "Sometimes, they seem real, but other times there's no choice at all."

"At least you still talking shit," CJ said as he drove across the railroad tracks. "You ain't changed a bit."

"Who me?" Big Smoke asked. "No never."

CJ made his way through Idlewood, still not over the fact that Smoke was now living in Ballas' territory, and pulled up in front of the latter's house.

"Thanks, CJ," Smoke told CJ as the two exited out of the vehicle. "I'll see you around."

CJ watched his friend walk inside his home. "Later, Smoke," CJ called.

* * *

As he walked down the street, he heard his cellphone ring. He pulled it out to answer it.

"Speak," CJ answered.

"I thought you was representing?" Sweet answered.

"What?" CJ asked.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought you was rolling with Grove Street again," Sweet reiterated.

"Already told you I am!" CJ told him.

"Well I ain't seen you in yo' colors yet!" Sweet told him. "You gotta fly the flag, man! Ain't nobody gonna respect you if you ain't representing your hood!"

"Alright man, my bad," CJ said. "I just ain't got around to it yet."

"There's a Binco around the corner from the gym in Ganton, go get yourself some greens!" Sweet told him.

CJ knew that if he was gonna prove he was down with the Grove Street Families, he had to dress like it. So he walked down the street and saw a Binco clothing store up ahead to his right.

He made it to the clothing store and walked inside to find the right clothing to represent his families. He picked out a green hoodie, a green T-shirt, blue jeans, and a green bandana. CJ purchased the clothing and exited out of Binco.

He walked down to Ganton street and entered his mother's house. As he climbed the stairs to enter his mother's room, he set his clothes on top of the dresser and took his sneakers off. Ge still felt sore, but satisfied as well. The soreness was a sign of success, as it just meant he was working hard enough to earn his hood and territories from the Ballas. So CJ fell asleep with a grin on his face.


	9. Chapter 9: Drive-By

The next day, CJ woke up and got out of bed. Today was the day to represent his old gang now. It was the '90s now, and he wanted to prove that Grove Street is coming back on top. So he got dressed in his new clothing and darted down the stairs. He ran into the kitchen and decided to have some toast and sausages for breakfast before he left.

After eating, CJ decided to go see Sweet and found him and Ryder in front of Sweet's porch having a conversation.

"I can drive as well as CJ, man, I'm telling you!" Ryder shouted jerking his arms around. Sweet was laughing at Ryder's attitude, and the latter turned around to see that CJ had caught him by surprise.

"Hey, homie, whassup?!" Ryder said giving CJ some dap.

"Hey, what you saying about me, fool?" CJ asked Ryder.

"Wassup, man?" Sweet greeted CJ.

"I'm saying that the East Coast made you drive like an idiot, fool!" Ryder told him as the trio started walking down the steps. "Man, you always crashing cars and shit. And for some reason now you back, all it is, is 'CJ drive here, CJ drive there.' Bullshit!"

"Man, why don't you take it easy?" Sweet told Ryder.

Ryder then turned to face CJ. "No disrespect, man, but you can't drive for shit!" he told CJ bluntly. He then started to walk away.

"Thanks, man," CJ muttered sarcastically stopping Ryder. "No, no, no, say what you really mean."

"You such a good gunman, homie," Sweet told Ryder. "You gotta ride shotgun. Show CJ what's cracking."

Ryder turned to face Sweet. "Hey, you know something – you're right," he agreed. "Yeah, CJ, you can drive, homie." The stoned gangster turned away smoking his joint.

"He's trippin'," Sweet told CJ.

* * *

Ryder hopped into the passenger's seat of Sweet's Greenwood while Big Smoke, who had been waiting for the rest of the members, and Sweet took the backseat. CJ got into the driver's seat and started driving.

"Let's crank up the tunes, nigga," Sweet demanded. He turned up the radio to listen to "The Godfather" by Spoonie Gee.

"Man turn that shit!" Ryder growled turning off the radio. "That station is whack! Where the hell is Redman or Naughty by Nature? That's the good East Coast shit!"

"How about some Bounce FM?" Big Smoke chimed in.

"You know what, y'all?" CJ announced. "I got the perfect station for drive-bys."

So CJ turned the station to Radio Los Santos to hear Tupac Shakur's song "I Don't Give a Fuck."

"Gyeah!" Ryder said. "Now that's the good shit!"

"Great choice, CJ," Sweet added.

"Yep," Big Smoke said. "Perfect drive-by music!"

So CJ continued driving straight down the road.

"Where we going, homie?" Ryder asked.

"Rollin' Heights Ballas country," Sweet answered.

"Do us a little drive-by, huh," Ryder muttered. "You know somethin', matter of fact, you're our chauffeur for this little gig. C'mon."

"Gee, thanks G," CJ replied facetiously.

"Just don't drive like no fool," Ryder told him.

CJ just continued driving through the streets until he went through Jefferson and came to a stop on the curb. The other three pulled out their tech nines and prepared for the impending drive-by on the Ballas.

* * *

"Yeah - Ballas turf," Sweet said. "You dogs ready?"

"Yeah, for sure, I'm ready," CJ answered.

"Carl, just concentrate on the driving and we'll take care of the shooting," Sweet told him.

"Listen to the man, fool!" Ryder added. "And try not to park us up a tree or something."

"Yeah, if the car stops, we're dead meat," Sweet said. "Okay, let's roll on those Ballas."

* * *

So CJ drove straight down the street and spotted a group of Ballas members just down the corner. CJ got close enough, and Sweet, Big Smoke, and Ryder pulled out their weapons and shot the Ballas down instantly.

"We iced them! CJ, let's hunt down some more!" Big Smoke said.

CJ went around the other block and came across another group of Ballas, who the other three shot at during the drive-by. The Ballas members tried shooting back, but were outmatched by the three Grove Street Families members. Soon, all the members were shot dead.

"That was way too easy!" Sweet said. "Let's go blast on some more Balla fools."

CJ then made a left turn on the other side of the street and spotted another group of Ballas hanging by the alleyway. He pulled close enough for Sweet, Big Smoke, and Ryder to shoot every last one of them down one by one.

"What you waiting for, CJ?" Ryder asked as he shot down the remaining Ballas member. "Find us some more Ballas so we can cap 'em."

CJ then drove straight down the alleyway and headed through Glen Park, where he spotted the Ballas hanging at the park just straight ahead.

"There they go, CJ!" Sweet told him pointing at the Ballas hanging right under the bridge. "Now speed it up so we can blast them Balla Pushers!"

CJ drove straight through the park to get closer, and Sweet, Big Smoke, and Ryder aimed their weapons at the Ballas and pulled the triggers. The bullets fired at the Ballas and hit each and every one of the members, killing them all instantly.

* * *

Unfortunately, the drive-by shooting also attracted attention to the police, who was just trailing behind.

"Smash on it, Carl, smash!" Sweet demanded.

CJ didn't say a word and just complied to his brother's demand. He floored the gas pedal and drove out of the park as fast as he could, with the police hot on his trail.

"Move faster before the cops go Russell Chief on our asses!" Ryder shouted angrily.

"Calm yo' ass down, Ryder!" Sweet told him as CJ continued speeding away.

CJ made it through Idlewood and finally made it inside the Paint 'n' Spray. After narrowly losing the police, CJ slowly backed away out of the garage and made it back onto the road.

"Yeah!" Sweet cheered. "Grove is back, man, Grove is back!"

"Yeah for sure," CJ agreed. "They was slippin' man!"

"Man," Ryder uttered sarcastically. "I'm shocked you didn't get us killed, CJ! Let me check myself. Am I dead?"

"Hey, Carl, ignore that motherfucker," Sweet told CJ as the latter drove straight to Ganton Street. "You did good today."

CJ finally arrived in Grove Street, and Ryder was the first to hop out of the car as it stopped to a park.

"You're down with the Grove and the Ballas know it," Sweet reminded CJ. "So watch yourself from now on, CJ."

"Yeah, yeah, f'sho," CJ replied. "You know that. I'll see y'all later."

"Here," Big Smoke said giving CJ some cash. Take this, go get yourself some beers, do whatever."

They all hopped out of the car, and CJ decided to head inside the house. He felt that he needed a break from doing drive-bys and decided to spend his free time playing video games.


	10. Chapter 10: Sweet's Girl

After spending hours on playing the video game titled _They Crawled From Uranus_, CJ decided to get something to eat from the kitchen. He searched for the fridge and found some string cheese. CJ liked string cheese since he was only six years old. His mother always used to pack string cheese for him with his lunch before he would go to school.

He took out a piece of string cheese and a gallon of milk, searched in the cabinet for a cup, got some crackers from the bottom cabinet, and poured the milk into the cup he set on the counter. He stored the milk inside the refrigerator and took his food to the table.

As he sat at the table, CJ reminisced on how his family hung out at the table during dinner having various conversations. He really missed his mother badly and wished she was still around.

* * *

After finishing his meal, CJ went into the kitchen and tossed his cup into the sink. He walked outside and looked around. It was a nice, sunny afternoon. The clouds in the sky receded around the sun, causing the shadows to suddenly appear on the streets and sidewalks.

It was a nice day outside, and it was indeed the perfect time for CJ and the rest of the Grove Street to go for another drive-by in the Ballas territory. So CJ walked over to Sweet's house and knocked on the door.

No answer.

CJ saw that the door was unlocked and entered Sweet's house. He looked around to find that no one was around.

"Sweet?" he called as he walked through the hallway. "Smoke?"

He arrived in the living room and saw that there was nobody there.

"Shit, where are all the homies at?" CJ asked himself. He looked around the kitchen to see that there were still no one to be seen.

"Fuck they at?" he asked under his breath. "Damn! Fuck it!"

* * *

So CJ just walked outside of Sweet's house and looked around when he heard his cellphone ring. CJ pulled it out of his pocket to answer it.

"Eh," CJ answered.

"Carl!" he heard Sweet answer. "No time to chit-chat!"

Sweet was hanging at the neighborhood of Playa del Seville crouching behind the guardrails of the house while using the cars for cover as the Seville gang members were shooting at him and another woman by his side. "Been seeing a Seville Families bia. Word got out on the street and the boys don't like it. I'm pinned down in the Seville 'hood, and we need a ride out of here, pronto!"

"Oh for sure, man," CJ told him. "Hang in there!"

"Drive by Emmet's and get heated," Sweet answered as he hung up the phone right before taking out one of the Seville gang members.

* * *

So CJ hung up the phone and stored it inside his pocket. It was crazy how the Seville and Temple Drive have now split their separate ways and started beefing with each other.

Without another word, CJ went to the garage and grabbed his bicycle. He hopped on and cycled away. While riding through Willowfield, he went through the alleyway and grabbed a pistol on top of the storage. Emmet was hanging out in the alley.

"Hey Emmet!" CJ called to the old man.

"Carl," Emmet said. "Good to see you again, boy. What can I do for you?"

"I need to pack some heat," CJ told him. "My brother is in it with Seville over at Playa del Seville."

"Still beefing, huh?" Emmet asked. "I know that feeling. The old gang is just blasting at each other."

"I don't get it," CJ said. "How'd Seville start beefing with Temple and stop hanging out with Grove?"

"It all started last year," Emmet told him. "Your brother and friends had been in exile thanks to the loan shark he paid back. Then before we all know it, someone from Temple had taken a whiff at the crack that another member of Seville had been manipulated to taken and they each started blaming each other for it. It turns out someone started selling on Temple's turf and they blamed Seville for it, thus instigating the gratuitous war between the two gangs and no longer down with the Grove."

"So all of this was started because someone was selling in Temple's turf?" CJ asked.

"That's right, boy," Emmet told him. "One thing you got to know, boy, is that drugs can have an adverse effect on anyone. It takes a real man to defend his neighborhood from danger. I still have faith in you, boy. I know you're here to make up for your past mistakes. You can't change the past, but you can fix what you broken. Don't live in despair. Just do better in the future."

"Thanks, Emmet," CJ told him. "You're like a father to me."

"No problem, Carl," Emmet told him. "Now go out there and help your brother, boy. He's depending on you."

"Sure thing," CJ said as he turned to leave, waving to Emmet in the process.

* * *

After grabbing the pistol, CJ rode his bicycle and to the neighborhood of Playa del Seville, where he spotted the Seville members trying to shoot at him. CJ took all of them out with the pistol he grabbed from Emmet's spot and got a call from Sweet.

"That's my brother," Sweet cheered through the cellphone. "Get a car, we'll meet you at front!"

* * *

So CJ got into a Greenwood parked in front of the street and saw Sweet and his girl, a Caucasian woman wearing a black dress, coming out from behind the buildings. They found CJ inside the vehicle and hopped inside, only for them to learn that more members of the Seville family chasing them by cars.

"Seville Families on our case, nigga!" Sweet urged.

So CJ quickly stomped on the gas and sped away, with the Seville families dashing from behind.

"Don't worry, girl," Sweet told his woman. "I don't drive as bad as CJ."

"Green blasting on green ain't no way to run the Families," CJ said as he continued driving.

"Seville's trying to start a war or something," Sweet replied.

"This is too much," CJ complained. "Shit's crazy, bro. We gotta get the homies back together."

Finally, CJ made it back to Ganton and pulled up right in front of Sweet's house. The three hopped out of the vehicle.

* * *

"I'll see you inside, baby," Sweet told his woman as he slapped her rear end. The woman began walking inside Sweet's house and turned to CJ. "Man, this set tripping is killing the Families," Sweet told CJ. "You did good back there!"

"Hey, I'm a Johnson boy!" CJ told his brother giving him a handshake.

"Hey, I got unfinished business," Sweet told CJ. "Big love."

CJ watched as Sweet walked back inside his house. As he made his way back inside his mother's house, he looked around, thinking about how he could finally bring his families back together. The fact that Seville was now against Grove Street Families and beefing with Temple Drive only exacerbated the gang's downfall. He had to think of a way to reunite them. But first, he decided to take a break for a while. It was a long day for him, and it was time to take some time off. So he walked over down the street and decided to hit the gym some more.


	11. Chapter 11: Cesar Vialpando

After another full hour at the gym, CJ once again felt pretty sore. But he was still satisfied, because he knew he'd be able to build more muscle the more he went to the gym to work out. He rode his bike all the way down to Grove Street.

As he arrived in his neighborhood, he heard arguing inside Sweet's house. Sweet and Kendl must be arguing again. Sweet was rather overprotective of Kendl as if she was his daughter. So CJ hopped off his bicycle and ran to Sweet's house to see what the commotion was all about.

* * *

Inside, Kendl was packing her briefcase inside her bedroom, and Sweet was right behind her arguing.

"I'm tired of you not listening to me, girl," Sweet told Kendl.

"And I'm tired of you acting like you own me," Kendl snapped walking away. "I can see who I want to see."

"It just ain't right you seeing some cholo motherfucker," Sweet told her.

"Ohh, what?" Kendl snarled turning around to face Sweet. "A no-good narrow-minded hypocrite gangbanger telling me what is right and what is wrong. Let me guess, Sweet - senseless killing right, but a boyfriend from the Southside, wrong?"

Kendl turned to walk away, with Sweet trailing behind. "Some things ain't just meant to happen," Sweet replied. "I mean what if y'all have kids. Leroy Hernandez? That don't sound good, girl."

"His name ain't Hernandez," Kendl told him entering the bathroom.

"Well, Leroy Lopez then," Sweet said.

"Or Lopez either, you racist fuck!" Kendl snapped shoving Sweet out of the way as she exited the bathroom. "That ain't how Moms raised us."

"I ain't racist," Sweet told her following her back into her bedroom. "I just know how they feel about you. And look at you, you're dressed like a hooker!"

"Oh and I guess you two would know what a hooker look like, huh?" Kendl told him finishing packing her briefcase.

"You say it like it's a bad thing!" CJ said eavesdropping on the two.

"Shut up, Carl!" Sweet and Kendl said together.

Kendl then grabbed her briefcase and walked towards the door.

"I'm just trying to protect you," Sweet told Kendl trying to calm down.

"For what?" Kendl asked sternly. "So I can date one of your mindless friends? I don't think so."

Sweet didn't say a word. He knew it was impossible to reason with Kendl at this point. He had dealt with a lot last year and wasn't ready to lose his little sister. So he watched as Kendl then turned to leave and slam the door shut behind her.

"Don't say a word, Carl," Sweet told CJ. "Just follow your sister, before you see another dead sibling. Then you'll know exactly what my problem is. She's meeting him at some cholo car club."

* * *

CJ complied to Sweet's demand and stepped outside. CJ took Sweet's Greenwood and drove away. Sweet had also told CJ to meet his friend from last year, Rico, at his garage in Willowfield.

As CJ drove through the streets of Los Santos, he thought of what his little sister was up to and why Sweet was so worried. Sure CJ didn't like seeing her get hurt either, but what was so wrong about Kendl seeing another man that made him so overprotective of her?

As CJ rode passed Playa de Seville, he finally made it to the garage in Willowfield and saw a Latino man wearing a mechanic suit and a black bandana on his head riding out of the garage in a red lowrider.

"So, you must be Sweet's bro' huh?" Rico said to CJ hopping out of the lowrider.

"Yeah," CJ replied. "Carl Johnson. But you can call me CJ."

"Well, pleasure meeting you, CJ," Rico replied. "Your brother phoned ahead, said you might be looking for a car that bounces. Well I owe him big from way back."

"Way back?" CJ replied. "You know him?"

"After what he did for me last year," Rico said, "I'd figure that it's my turn to reciprocate. So here, this should do the trick."

Rico offered CJ his lowrider, and CJ inspected it for a minute. He decided to hop inside and test the engine.

"It seem to run well," he said.

"Custom springs should see you hopping all the way home!" Rico told him. "Try her out. Very popular with the eses - they compete in these things. You can usually find them over by Unity Station. If you ever want to mod your ride, come back any time, man."

"Fo sho'," CJ replied. "I might be back to make a few adjustments to this thing when I'm finished."

* * *

CJ tested the hydraulics as he began to drive away. He made a left turn on Playa del Seville and another left on the next corner. As he drove straight ahead, he thought about what Sweet told him and hoped that Kendl was still breathing completely unscathed.

CJ made it to the car club on El Corona at the Unity Station, where a lot of the Latinos of the Varrios Loss Aztecas gang members in their lowriders were having a party at, listening to 'Road To the Riches' by Kool G Rap. CJ arrived just in time, and one of the Aztecas members approached his vehicle.

"So you think you can lowride?" the member asked. "Well let's see what you can do."

What CJ had to do was compete in a lowrider showdown, in which whoever gets the best moves wins the showdown. It was similar to step dancing, but with lowriders instead.

CJ was competing with one of the members. During the lowrider showdown, CJ learned how to control the hydraulics. He and his opponent spent most of the time controlling the hydraulics of each of their lowriders, moving them in many direction to emulate the step dancing style.

Before he knew it, after about two minutes of the showdown, CJ had prevailed against his opponent, who hopped out of his lowrider and walked over to CJ.

"You're pretty good for a beginner, eh!" the opponent told him. "I seen worse, but you did alright!"

* * *

CJ then hopped out of the car just in time to see Kendl run up on him and give him a tight hug as a response to congratulate him.

"That shit was alright!" Kendl cheered with a squeal. "So since when has my brother been a lowrider?"

"Since Sweet told me to keep an eye on you, make sure that whatever you're dating don't get you in no trouble," CJ told him.

CJ felt relieved. What was Sweet even worried about? All Kendl was doing was meeting a man at a car club. It wasn't like she was doing anything inappropriate. Besides, Kendl was a grown woman, and she was old enough to make her own decisions. So CJ felt that he had to respect the choices his little sister made, as long as they were wise.

CJ then looked forward to see a tall, lean Latino man wearing a wife beater and baggy khaki pants walk over to the two. "Que honda?" the Latino man congratulated shaking CJ's hand. "Nice hopping, holmes."

"Well you just shook that "whatever"'s hand," Kendl told CJ.

CJ then watched as the Latino man started making love to Kendl. "Come here, baby girl," the Latino man told Kendl.

CJ then pushed the Latino man away from Kendl. "Hey, get your dirty hands off my sister," CJ snapped.

"Carl!" Kendl cried out pushing CJ away. "What is wrong with you?"

"Holmes, you're acting like she's your woman, eh," the Latino said trying not to fight CJ. "She's with me, cabron. So chill the fuck out. I treat her good."

"Look, baby, don't start no shit," Kendl said stepping in. "Don't make it worse, OK?"

Kendl was the voice of reason when it came to the Johnson family. While she wasn't above getting her hands dirty whenever someone would get into her face, she also preferred to make peace, not wanting any conflict of some sort inflicted, especially between her brothers and boyfriend.

It almost worked - until two of the Latino man's friends came around. "Horale vato," the one in the white T-shirt said. "Who's this pendejo?"

"What?" Kendl snapped stepping into the ese's face in defense of CJ. "Dickhead? That dickhead is my brother!"

"Easy, holmes," Kendl's boyfriend told him holding him back. "He ain't from nowhere. He's cool."

"Well I say he ain't cool, holmes," his friend replied ignoring his gesture while pointing a finger at CJ. "I say he thinks he's gangster, man, and I don't like it. So you know what you can do for me, man? You can fuck off, pendejo, and maybe we cool."

"No, you fuck off!" CJ shot back. "I'm talking to my sister."

"Carl!" Kendl pleaded.

"Jose, c'mon, holmes," Kendl's boyfriend told him. "I can handle this. This is important to me."

Jose reluctantly complied and still continued staring holes at CJ. "Horale pendejo you lucky," he snapped at CJ. "That's right, you lucky Cesar's spoken for you."

CJ didn't say anything to Jose. He just simply flip the middle finger at Jose in response. Jose tried to charge at him, but then thought better of it. "Vamanos muchachos," he announced. "Let's get some fucking beer, huh. I'm thirsty."

The two friends left, which left CJ, Kendl, and her Latino boyfriend around.

"Carl!" Kendl told CJ. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Look, baby," her boyfriend told her. "Go get in the car, OK, I'm gonna speak to Carl."

So Kendl complied to her boyfriend's order and calmly walked away, leaving him to speak to CJ.

"Look, holmes," he told CJ, "I love your sister. I honor her, she's my girl for life. This is why I stop you from being skinned just then. You got a problem with me, fine, we don't have to be friends. But Kendl, she's happy with me, carnal."

CJ thought about it for a while. He knew that he became the biggest embarrassment of the party. All he was trying to do was look out for Kendl. But he then realized that he was sounding just like Sweet. The Latino man didn't seem like anyone who would choose a woman for simple sex or cheat on her for other women. In fact, from one CJ saw in him, he didn't see any makings of a troublemaker and more of a guy who truly wanted to be friendly.

After a while, CJ came to a conclusion. "Yeah, OK," CJ said shaking the Latino man's hand. "I guess we're cool. For now."

"Cesar Vialpando," the Latino introduced himself.

"Carl Johnson - CJ," CJ greeted back.

"Cabron!" Cesar said studying CJ's lowrider. "You got a nice ride there, holmes. Maybe we'll get to kick it again soon, eh?"

"Yeah, maybe," CJ replied.

"Catch you later, holmes," Cesar told CJ walking away.

CJ watched as Cesar drove away in his red Savanna, with Kendl along with him. CJ decided to take his new lowrider for a spin around Los Santos for a while.


	12. Chapter 12: High Stakes, Low Rider

After the rest of the afternoon riding through his hometown, CJ looked around to see how much everything has changed since he returned. Everything in Los Santos was so different than it was back in the 1980s. No one was rocking the 1980s fashion anymore, and the music in the radio had changed completely. Hip hop had changed its sound since 1991, and new jack swing was now taking over the musical charts. CJ was currently listening to "Deep Cover" by Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was great to hear the hip hop sound of the West Coast.

As CJ parked by the store on Downtown Los Santos, he heard his phone ring. CJ pulled it out to answer it.

"Who's this?" CJ asked.

"Hey, what's up homie?" he heard Cesar say over the phone. "It's Cesar Vialpando, cabron, que honda?"

CJ didn't understand the Spanish Cesar was speaking in, but decided to reply anyway. "You seen Kendl?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's with me," Cesar replied. "She's hanging around. I just called to say that you drive cool and you like cars, eh, so ..."

"Yeah, okay," CJ said. "Where we going with this?"

"Well, you wanna make something a little money?" Cesar asked.

"Does he pope shit in the woods?" CJ asked facetiously.

"I don't know," Cesar responded. "But if you say, there's gonna be plenty of made to be made racing."

"You talking illegal street racing," CJ told him. "Hell yeah!"

"No hoopties, holmes," Cesar told him. "Just lowriders. Nice ones, they gotta be nice or you don't get in, eh."

"Okay, I'm in," CJ said. "When and where?"

"Drop by the spot in El Corona," Cesar told him. "I'll take you to the meet, vouch for you. These guys ... these guys can be very nervous to new racers, eh!"

CJ hung up the phone. He was down with a little competition. So after he ran into the store to purchase a beverage, he returned to his lowrider and drove through the streets of Los Santos.

* * *

This was the perfect time to get his lowrider modified. So CJ decided to see Rico to design it. He drove down to Willowfield and came to Rico's garage, where he saw Rico standing right there.

"CJ," Rico called. "I see you came back over for another tune-up!"

"Yeah!" CJ said. "My ride could use a little tweaking."

"Well," Rico told him, "you're free to stylize your ride however you like, bro. Just take it into the garage and I'll hook you up!"

So CJ backed his lowrider inside Rico's garage and went with some preferred styles. He chose green as the outside paint job to represent his gang colors and went with the classic rims for the tires. Rico also tuned the hydraulics and added a nitro by the exhaust pipes.

CJ studied the car and gave Rico a handshake of gratitude. "You hooked it up for me, Rico!" he told him. "Thanks, hombre."

"No prob, Ceej," Rico told him. "Word on the street is that there's a lowrider race over at El Corona."

"Oh you heard about that?" CJ asked.

"Yeah," Rico told him. "Now why don't you go out there and win some cash?! There's no way my hard work could fail you!"

So CJ took his newly-designed lowrider for a drive to El Corona and made his way to Cesar's house, where he saw the Latino man sitting in his red Savanna with Kendl in the passenger's seat.

* * *

CJ parked his car up front and walked towards Cesar, who was playing "La Raza" by Kid Frost on his radio.

"Heeyy, CJ, you made it!" Cesar called.

"What's the bi'ness?" CJ greeted.

"Hey Carl," Kendl told CJ.

"Hey, sis," CJ said.

"Nice ride, man," Cesar told CJ studying his lowrider parked to the front. "That's no carrucha! You sure you want to risk that baby?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," CJ replied. "How much they talking about?"

"It's hard cash or your pink slip in the pot," Cesar responded. "Con Safos, eh. Then you pull up and race. First past the post wins, con chota, sin chota."

"OK, for sure," CJ said. "I'm down."

"Watch out, CJ," Cesar warned signaling his hand. "These boys don't like to lose, eh..."

"Yeah, well me either," CJ responded.

"Follow me to the race, dude!" Cesar told him.

* * *

So CJ hopped inside his lowrider and watched as Cesar rode out of the parking lot of his home and made a right turn to the street up ahead.

"Keep up, holmes," Cesar told CJ.

CJ rode ahead as Cesar rode up an overpass.

"Not far no, eh?" Cesar called.

"Come on, Carl!" Kendl added. "Follow us!"

CJ continued to follow Cesar and Kendl until they finally made it to Verdant Bluffs, where the other racers in lowriders were waiting.

"Ready, CJ?" Cesar asked as the race was beginning to start.

"I'm sure he's ready, Ceez," Kendl told him. "Ready to lose!"

"We gon' see about that!" CJ replied with a sly grin.

And as he said that, the race began, and all the racers were driving vigorously through the street. Some of the races crashed into other cars, and others just zoomed through the traffic.

They all drove through Verona Beach and straight ahead through Marina. They made a right turn on Sant Maria Beach and drove straight ahead. This road was open, and no cars were driving. So they drove through Rodeo street and made a right turn on Richman.

CJ was just second behind Cesar and Kendl, and the two racers were yards ahead of the other contestants. Then made a few sharp turns around Rodeo. They were at each other's neck in the race.

When they finally approached the Santa Maria Beach, they each were racing towards the finish line, dashing as fast as each of them can go. When both of them finally made it past the finish line, the race was over. CJ had won! And Cesar and Kendl came in second place.

* * *

The two stopped their vehicles as they crossed the line, and CJ stopped out to confront his sister and new friend.

"Who did you say would be the loser, sis?" CJ told Kendl.

"Yeah, yeah," Kendl replied smiling modestly. "You proved me wrong, CJ. Good race."

"Si, holmes," Cesar added. "You were a beast on the street. Looks like you earned the cash, eh."

"Cool," CJ said.

He received $1,000 for the race by one of the judges at the pier.

"Oh snap!" CJ cried out. "I didn't know you give away this much!"

"That's right, man," Cesar told him. "I told you, this race is intense! You can come over and see me anytime, CJ."

"And spend that cash wisely, Carl," Kendl added.

So Cesar drove away, and CJ looked around the pier. He had vivid childhood memories in Santa Maria. The sun blazed beautifully above the rippling ocean water in the blue afternoon sky. The reflection of the atmosphere brightened in the ocean.

CJ took one more glance at the scenery and hopped back inside his lowrider. He started the engine and drove back onto the road.

As CJ drove through Downtown Los Santos, he was feeling rather confident that his family was going to come back up on top again and show the Ballas who really runs the hood.

By the time CJ finally returned to this street, the sun was already beginning to set. He looked around to see the orange sky blazing around the street. He opened the garage of his house and stored his lowrider inside. As he hopped out and let the garage close behind him, he decided to see what one of his friends were up to.


	13. Chapter 13: Home Invasion

CJ went to Ryder's house and heard some noises in the backyard. CJ went around the house and entered the backyard to find Ryder running frantically around his backyard. CJ noticed that the stoner had dug several holes in his backyard.

"Damn!" Ryder muttered angrily under his breath. "Where the fuck...?"

"Man, what you doing?" CJ asked his stoned friend. "Digging graves?"

"Damn, where the fuck I put it man?" Ryder growled searching through the yard.

"Put what nigga?" CJ asked.

"Man, the fucking water!" Ryder shouted furiously giving up and rising on his feet to face CJ. "Need a little something before I go deal with things!"

"What things fool?" CJ asked.

"My homie, LB - he told me about this army motherfucker who's got all the guns we need," Ryder replied. "Not that old school Emmet bullshit either!"

"I'm down," CJ said. "Let's roll."

"Yeah, you always down, homie," Ryder said as he continued searching. "Apart from when you ain't around here."

_Not this shit again, _CJ thought.

"Aye, nigga, fuck you!" CJ told him.

Ryder just ignored him and continued searching with a joint in his hand. CJ just shook his head. There was no reasoning with a pothead. Ryder was a weed smoker, but he also mixed it in with PCP, which had a rather adversary effect on his attitude. This caused CJ to worry about his friend and what he might get himself into.

_Seriously, what family did this nigga come from? _he thought. _He ain't human._

"Damn!" Ryder growled. He showed CJ his joint. "Man, you want some of this?" he asked him.

"No, man," CJ told him. "I'm cool on that. Where we going?"

"This till overlooking East Beach," Ryder replied. "Better yet, we wait until it's dark. Catch the motherfucker while he in bed."

"Yeah, I'm feeling that," CJ said..

"Yeah, yeah," Ryder said. "That's it, that's it..."

He started digging again, then turned to CJ. "C'mon nigga, what you waiting for?!" Ryder yelled at CJ. "Look!"

"Let it go!" CJ told him.

_It's a good thing that fool's on the water and not crack, _CJ thought.

* * *

One hour later, the sun began to set, and CJ found that there was a Boxville truck outside.

"Get in fool!" Ryder shouted at CJ hopping into the passenger's seat of the truck.

"Where'd you..." CJ started to ask.

"LB, motherfucker!" Ryder shouted. "Now get the fuck in!"

CJ complied and hopped inside the driver's seat of the vehicle and started driving.

"Where is this old motherfucker?" Ryder grunted. "Where the hell is he?"

"Relax, man," CJ told him. "We ain't there yet."

"Yeah, right, Carl," Ryder said. "You always right. That's my homie. Mr. Right."

"Shut up," CJ told him.

"You can't stop me," Ryder replied.

"Who can't?" CJ asked.

"Whatever," Ryder said sounding uninterested.

* * *

CJ drove south down the street and finally made it to East Beach. There was the apartment of an old Vietnamese war veteran, and he had a crate full of weapons.

"Let's storm the place," Ryder said as CJ rolled into the driveway of the apartment.

"Hold up," CJ told Ryder as the two exited the vehicle simultaneously. "Let's just creep in, grab the guns, then bounce out."

"Yeah, yeah I got it - ninja style!" Ryder said. "Right..."

Ryder then cupped his hands over his mouth and faced the apartment building. "COME OUT YOU OLD BASTARD!" he shouted.

"Shut up!" CJ told him.

"He can't stop me, you buster, Carl!" Ryder said. "OK, fool, in you go - I'll keep watch."

* * *

CJ put on a black ski mask and silently crept into the house. Knowing who he was going up against, he knew he had to be silent about this. Luckily for him, he saw the first crate sitting right next to the staircase. So he crept slowly, grabbed the crate, and silently exited the apartment.

CJ stepped outside and set the crate inside the back of the truck.

Keep it coming, CJ!" Ryder told him.

CJ gave Ryder a thumbs up and slowly snuck his way back into the apartment. There were more crates upstairs. So CJ tiptoed up the steps and crept down the hallways. he saw one of the crates at the corner of the wall and slowly scooped it into his arms. He slowly walked down the stairs, being careful not to make a single sound.

He finally made it out through the exit and stored it in the back of the truck.

"What I tell y'all?" Ryder said. "We making a killing!"

CJ continued sneaking inside the house for more crates. He was feeling confident, yet less cocky. He still had to be silent while sneaking into the war veteran's home. CJ tiptoed up the stairs and crept through the hallways to find another crate. He saw one sitting right against the wall and scooped it into his arms. He walked slowly through the hallways and quietly down the stairs, heading for the exit. As he got outside, he stored the crate in the back of the truck.

"You're a natural house-breaker, homie!" Ryder told CJ.

* * *

CJ felt that it was enough crates inside the truck and decided to leave.

"Okay," CJ informed. "I think that's enough. Let's just take what we got and dip out."

So CJ and Ryder entered the truck, and CJ started the engine and made a right turn on the road.

"A'ight, now we straight," Ryder said as CJ drove straight down the street. "LB's got a storage down on Seville Boulevard Families' turf we can use."

"I'm on it!" CJ said. Then he saw Ryder smoking another joint. "Seriously, Ryder-man, you gotta give up them sticks," CJ told his friend.

"What?" Ryder uttered. "I'll give up the water if you give up being a busta."

"Hold it right there, homie!" CJ protested.

"Buster!" Ryder repeated.

"Forget it," CJ told him.

"Forget you, fool!" Ryder shot back.

"One day, you're gonna wish you hadn't piss me off," CJ muttered under his breath.

"Did I hear something?" Ryder asked mockingly holding a hand over his ear. "Sounds like the busta complaining again!"

"Man, this is childish," CJ admitted.

"Man, i ain't talking you to no more fool," Ryder told him.

_Good times, _CJ thought. _It's nice being back home arguing with my homie again. Brings back so much._

* * *

Cj finally arrived at Playa del Seville to store the truck into the storage. CJ and Ryder exited the vehicle and walked out of the storage.

"You see I told you, simple," Ryder told CJ.

"Yeah that was a real breeze," CJ muttered.

"Say CJ," Ryder told him, "you gotta get it in your head that this is everyday shit homie."

CJ took a second to think about what Ryder told him.

_Shit, I'm not sure about robberies, _he thought. _I mean, I'm used to blasting on these Ballas around the block, but stealth has never really been my thing._

"Ok look," CJ told Ryder. "I'm tired. I'll see you later."

"A'ight holmes," Ryder said. "Just think about what I said."

_Man, that fool been watching too many kung-fu movies, _CJ thought shaking his head.

CJ watched as Ryder turned to leave. Feeling tired and weary himself, CJ looked at his watch. It was 9:25 PM. So CJ decided to go back to Grove Street on foot. He wanted to get an early morning wakening.


	14. Chapter 14: OG Loc

The next day, CJ woke up. He thought about what Ryder told him, and while he wasn't above committing numerous crimes, he wasn't so sure if he would go so far to breaking into other people's houses to steal their material. Plus, there wasn't really much he wanted to even steal anyway.

CJ got out of bed, picked his preferred clothes, went into the bathroom to take a shower, and got dressed in a green flannel shirt over baggy brown khaki pants and green Chuck sneakers.

CJ headed to the door and grabbed his bicycle inside the garage and pedaled all the way to Idlewood. As he made it to Big Smoke's house, he hopped off the bike and ran to the front porch.

CJ knocked on Big Smoke's door and waited a few seconds for him to answer. He then heard noises from the side of the house and walked over the side to see Sweet and Big Smoke walking from the back door having a conversation.

"Yeah, you know Jeffrey's been somebody's bitch for the past three weeks, right?" Sweet told Big Smoke.

"I know!" Smoke agreed.

CJ watched as Sweet and Big Smoke walked up to the front. CJ noticed them both and vice-versa.

"Hey," CJ greeted the two.

"Hey, CJ!" Big Smoke greeted back.

"Hey, what's up, CJ?" Sweet added.

"Whassup?" CJ replied.

"Whassup, man?" Big Smoke told him. "Wanna go to prison?"

"What?" CJ asked.

Sweet just chuckled at Big Smoke's joke. "Nah... To pick up Jeffrey," Sweet replied. "He's touching down today. You wanna roll?"

"Yeah, for sure," CJ agreed stepping off the porch. "What's Jeffrey doing locked up, anyway?"

"We'll talk about that later, man," Big Smoke told him. "Let's roll, we're late."

* * *

The three entered Smoke's Glendale, with CJ taking the wheel, and drove away to the police station.

"Good to hang with you, brother," Sweet told CJ. "I'm sorry I can get a little tense."

"Don't worry about it," CJ replied.

Big Smoke began to laugh. "Hey," he said. "It ain't Jeffrey no more, it's O-G-Loc!"

"O-G-Loc?" CJ asked.

"Oh yeah, he's a real gangsta now!" Sweet replied sarcastically.

CJ just scoffed. "I see," he muttered. "And what'd he do?"

"Anything he could get thrown in jail for," Big Smoke answered as CJ drove through Commerce road. "For his career. Joyriding, parking fines or some other bullshit!"

* * *

CJ finally made it through Pershing Square, where he parked right in front of the police station. Standing at the station was Jeffrey, who was posing as if he was a hardcore thug ready to fight someone at the boxing ring.

CJ, Sweet, and Big Smoke all scoffed at Jeffrey's pathetic attempt to represent the gangster life of the three gangsters and Ryder.

"Hey, there that fool go," Big Smoke announced.

"Look at this fool, man..." CJ murmured shaking his head, "Perpetrating like he bangin'..."

"...Think he hard..." Big Smoke added.

CJ, Sweet, and Big Smoke exited the car. "...Man, I tell you..." CJ said.

"I know that fool can't be serious," Big Smoke said as Jeffrey grabbed his briefcase and walked up to the trio. He started to give CJ some dap.

"Hey, what's happening with you, Jeffrey?" CJ told him.

Suddenly, Jeffrey dropped his briefcase. "Hey, man," he protested. "It's OG Loc, homie - OG Loc!"

"My bad," CJ said. "How was it, though, homie?"

"Man, what you think?" Jeffrey replied. "How was it..."

Big Smoke then stepped to Jeffrey to separate him and CJ. "Hey, chill out, dude," Big Smoke told Jeffrey. "So what you want to do now?"

"Man, I gotta kill some cholo motherfucker," Jeffrey said. "He was dissin' me, man!"

"Hey Jeffrey," Big Smoke told him. "I thought you was going to, uh, college."

He and CJ laughed heartedly. "Man fuck you!" Jeffrey yelled. "Motherfucker done stole my rhymes. He's in East Flores. Hey, gimme a strap."

"Man, why don't you stall us out with that shit and get in the car, fool?!" Sweet told him guiding the other three to the Glendale.

* * *

CJ once again took the wheel and drove down the road. "What's your plan, big gangsta?" CJ asked Jeffrey. "Now you a free man and all."

"Man, I ain't free," Jeffrey complained. "My parole officer lined me up with a job!"

"Motherfucker always trying to keep a player down," Big Smoke added.

"You got that right!" Jeffrey replied. "Still, ain't so bad, I'm gonna be a 'hygiene technician'."

"Coming up in the world, huh?" Sweet told him.

"Just a stepping-stone to greatness," Jeffrey cheered.

CJ just continued driving down the street. He drove until he made it through the neighborhood of East Los Santos, where Jeffrey ordered CJ to stop in front of the house up front.

"Man, this is the spot!" Jeffrey stated.

"Ain't this a Vagos' 'hood?" CJ asked.

"Man, I don't give a shit," Jeffrey replied. "I'm gangsta!"

"C'mon," Big Smoke said. "Let's leave Loc to deal with Casanova."

"Hey, I'll stick with Jeff - I mean, Loc!" CJ replied.

"OK, cool," Sweet said. "I'll see you guys back on the set."

* * *

CJ hopped out of the car, and Big Smoke took the wheel and drove away. CJ was already strapped, so he was prepared. Although he didn't really like Jeffrey that much, the latter was still an associate of the gang, and since Jeffrey had absolutely no gangster rep, CJ had to protect him before he got shredded.

Jeffrey climbed up the steps to the house and stepped in front of the door.

"Freddy!" Jeffrey shouted banging on the front door. "I've come for you, you motherfucker!"

"Hey, Loc, hold up!" CJ called trailing after him. He made his way onto the steps as well.

"Jeffrey, you got the wrong idea, man," Freddy said in a squeaky voice from inside. "That was just a prison thing! I got plenty of muchachas on the outside, I don't need your scrawny ass!"

"Man, ignore him," Jeffrey told CJ looking through the window. "CJ, I don't know what he talking about. Hey, yo', gimme back my rhymes you thief, I'm gangsta!

"You dropped the soap, sugar," Freddy told him from inside. "I don't know nothing about any rhymes!"

CJ then stared back at Jeffrey, who apparently got raped while spending his hard time in prison. This definitely wasn't a guy who was gangster-material.

"Hey, hey!" Jeffrey cried out as he looked from the side of the house and saw Freddy, who appeared to be a Vago wearing a yellow bandana on his head, running out of his backyard hopping onto a motorbike. "Motherfucker's making a run for it!

As Freddy escaped, Jeffrey ran to another motorbike parked by the side and hopped on. CJ dashed after him.

"Hey Loc, get back here, nigga, you crazy!" CJ told him.

"Eh yo', back off me CJ!" Jeffrey cried. "I gotta protect my rep'!"

* * *

CJ reluctantly shoved Jeffrey out of the way and took the bike to ride while Jeffrey sat behind him prepared to shoot at Freddy, who continued riding through East Los Santos.

"Ooo! Chase me!" Freddy mocked as CJ continued riding after him. "Chase me!"

He rode through the alleyways while Jeffrey continued shooting at him over CJ's shoulder. Freddy finally made it on the other end of the street and raced downhill.

"C'mon, honey, I'm losing my patience!" he mocked Jeffrey, who continued shooting.

Because he was a wannabe, Jeffrey's accuracy was abysmal, and all he shot was air. Freddy continued riding through Los Flores while Jeffrey continued shooting as CJ dashed after Freddy.

"I like the fast ass, not the slow ass!" Freddy teased as he made a right turn to ride up the hill to the overpass and a lefy on the end of the street.

CJ continued chasing Freddy down the hill, and the latter made a right turn on Las Colinas.

"I thought you were keen, cute buns!" Freddy teased once again.

CJ continued chasing after Freddy while Jeffrey continued shooting while missing every shot.

"Catch me if you caaAAAaan!" Freddy called as he made his way onto the freeway.

Soon, the chase resumed on the freeway through Downtown Los Santos, and the cars were all moving around rapidly.

" Yoohoo! Over here!" Freddy called as he exited the freeway. "Coowee, Jeffrey! You know I love the thrill of the chase!"

CJ chased Freddy through the malls of Downtown Los Santos and through the skate park of Glen Park. CJ was feeling rather exasperated of the whole chase, and Freddy had already dashed through another freeway right before exited back to East Los Santos.

_Ah great! _CJ thought. _I can't believe we went. To a huge circle. Bullshit!_

"Hey baby, move those sweet cheeks!" Freddy teased as CJ continued to chase him. "Try to show a little bit more enthusiasm, darling!"

When Freddy finally reached the end of the steps of East Los Santos, he ran to the rest of his gang. (

"He's broken my heart!" Freddy complained.

"Get him, boys!" one of his friends shouted.

"Yo, I'm gonna kill that loud-mouthed motherfucker!" Jeffrey shouted running up to the gang. "Your ass is mine!"

Suddenly, Jeffrey ran back as the gang fired bullets at him "Oh, no no no!" Jeffrey pleaded. "I didn't mean it like that! CJ, help me out here!"

A reluctant CJ pulled out his tech nine and shot at each member, killing them one by one. When Jeffrey saw that they were all dead, he ran up to Freddy's corpse and pointed his weapon at him, as if he was the one who killed him. CJ slowly approached him.

* * *

"Don't you say a damn thing, CJ!" Jeffrey told him.

CJ just laughed at Jeffrey's pathetic attempt at portraying the thug persona. "Was you lonely, Loc?" CJ mocked. "Hey, I like a nice moustache myself!"

Jeffrey then lowered his pistol. "I keep it real, unlike you fake ass motherfuckers," Jeffrey complained.

"C'mon, gangsta," CJ told him. "Let's get back to the Grove."

"Nah, I can't," Jeffrey told him. "I gotta go and sign in for this damn job!"

"Whatever you want," CJ said. "You want a ride anyway?"

"Sure thing," Jeffrey agreed. "Let's roll. Hey, take me to the Burger Shot at Verona Beach."

"You're the boss," CJ told him as the two walked right back to the motorbike.

"Coz i'm keen," Jeffrey rhymed as he and CJ hopped onto the motorbike, "With the hygiene, On a mission, Like a super technician, baby."

"Get on with this shit man," CJ told him. "Look at you, all muscly and shit."

"Man, I got 17s on the hang," Jeffrey replied as CJ started to ride away.

"You coulda did that out here," CJ said.

"Because I did in the joint," Jeffrey told him. "It's real now."

"Yeah," CJ replied. "I guess it is, gangsta."

CJ knew that Jeffrey wouldn't last a day as a gangster, and he had no makings of a real OG. So a job at the Burger Shot was the better path for him at the moment. After a few minutes of riding through the city, CJ finally made it to Burger Shot.

* * *

CJ pulled up into the parking lot, and Jeffrey hopped off.

"Thanks for the ride, CJ," Jeffrey thanked. "Don't be a stranger, fool."

"Yeah, for sure," CJ replied. "I'll see you around."

"Like a quarter pound!" Jeffrey rhymed. "Later."

CJ watched as Jeffrey walked into the restaurant to file for the job. Jeffrey wanted to be known as OG Loc for now on, so CJ chose to call him that. He hoped that Loc didn't get chopped into pieces for trying to get into the gang life, as he has already lost two family members because of it. CJ just decided to ride away to explore the city.


	15. Chapter 15: Life's a Beach

As the hours elapsed, CJ was looking over the pier to watch the sunset. He was glad to finally see the sunset since the day he left Los Santos. The sky was a vibrant tint of red, orange, and violet in the sky as the sun started to set. The reflection of the rippling water of the ocean was also a glistening view. The pier began to light up. It was a beautiful night in Santa Maria Beach. CJ's memories of his childhood there were just as vivid as the sunset.

Upon hearing his stomach growling, CJ decided to get dinner and headed over to Burger Shot by motorbike. As he parked the bike into the parking lot, he hopped off and saw Jeffrey, now nicknamed OG Loc, carrying a mop and bucket around from the back.

"Looking real technical, gangsta!" CJ told him.

"Carl?" OG Loc cried out in surprise. "You ain't run off again, yet?"

"No, gangsta," CJ told him. "I'm here for good."

"Yeah?" OG Loc asked as he pushed the mop and bucket back. "Well, fuck this gig, man. I'm putting together a listening party for my album, but first I need a sound system..."

"Hey, I'm down," CJ told him, "as long as I don't have to go to the party."

"What you talking about, fool?" OG Loc complained. "Guaranteed I start playing, everybody'll come through."

"Being real, OG," CJ told him. "I'm really ain't into rap no more. I'm more into that hardcore gangster shit!"

"Well that's me, homie, that's me!" OG Loc said. "OG Loc, baby!"

"Yeah, yeah, for sure," CJ replied. "But I only like them if they rhyme real well... Y'know, well... Anyway, what you want me to steal?"

"That's what I'm talking about, love for your homies!" OG Loc cheered. "Now check it, I caught me a real fly sound system cruising through the drive-thru. I think they headed down to the beach for a beach party. Now check this out, I'll roll with you, and on the way, I'll kick a couple of freestyles..."

OG Loc then started freestyling. "It's OG Loc in the place, Y'all want to stop me with a gun in your face, OG! OG!"

"Yeah yeah yeah yeah, man, shut the fuck up!" CJ told him trying to get him to stop talking. "Maybe I need to do this on my own. I believe in you. Gangster 4 life, homie. 4 life!"

"Yeah - for life, homie..." OG Loc agreed.

* * *

OG Loc wanted CJ to steal a sound system from the beach. CJ was reluctant, but did it for his ally. So he hopped onto the motorbike and drove over to Santa Maria Beach.

At the beach, CJ saw that the people there were having a party, complete with a fire and a sound van. L7's "Pretend We're Dead" was also playing in the background.

CJ hopped off the bike and walked to a DJ, who was an African-American woman wearing a black 69ers football jersey over baggy black pants and a brown beanie on her head and owned a sound van right nearby.

"Hey, what's crackin'?" the DJ asked CJ watching him approach her.

"Just hanging out, you know..." CJ told her.

"Well why don't you come out and dance?" the DJ asked.

"Yeah, f'sho!" CJ agreed.

"Let's see what you got," the DJ told him.

So CJ spent the next minutes showing everyone his dance moves. CJ had been taught by Big Smoke to dance, and man, was Smoke a great teacher! CJ had this in the bag!

Kool and the Gang's "Hollywood Swingin'" was playing, and CJ decided to kick his dance moves to show the others at the party. They all were impressed by CJ's dance moves and complimented his skills. It was working! CJ was keeping the others on their toes. He kept the dancing up for two full minutes.

* * *

After a while, the DJ was impressed. "You got some moves," she congratulated CJ. "Wanna come and chat?"

"Yeah, for sure, that sounds nice," CJ said.

"Let me take you into my office," the DJ told him walking to the van.

But before she could react, CJ hopped into the driver's seat and started to speed away before the DJ even had a chance to get inside the van.

"He's stealing the sounds!" the DJ cried.

CJ payed no mind to the party goers as he continued driving away. He drove until he made it on the roads and turned to his right. He drove through Verona Beach and through Commerce until he finally found a garage under the freeway and stored the van inside.

CJ exited the vehicle and the garage as he watched the garage door slowly shut. CJ checked his watch. It was now 8:51 PM. CJ felt it was time for him to get some shut-eye. So he decided to take the bus back home to eat.


	16. Chapter 16: Running Dog

The next morning, CJ was riding his bike around Los Santos and decided to ride through Idlewood to see what Big Smoke was up to. He set his bicycle by the curb and stepped to the front door. Just then, the front door swung open, and Tenpenny and Pulaski both exited the house, scaring him slightly.

"BOO!" Tenpenny shouted in CJ's face. The latter jumped a bit, but wasn't the slightest intimidated by the two corrupt cops.

"Asshole," CJ told the two.

The cops just laughed. "Yo Carl, see you around..." Tenpenny told him as he and Pulaski walked away.

"Fuck they doing over here, anyway?" CJ asked himself. "Punk-ass police."

He watched to see Big Smoke walk outside in the porch. "Those nosey motherfuckers won't leave me alone!" he growled glaring at the officers who just left. "Think I'm Mr. Big, or something. But I don't tell them shit. For me, it's all about my homeboy, Carl."

He gave CJ a handshake. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say," CJ said sounding rather suspicious.

"Yo, the gang's real important, CJ," Big Smoke told him. "You know that! You down to represent, baby?"

"Yeah," CJ agreed.

"Look," Big Smoke told him, "my cousin is coming into town from Mexico. I gots to go scoop her up."

"Alright then, c'mon," CJ said as he and Big Smoke stepped off the porch.

* * *

The two walked over top Big Smoke's Glendale, with CJ taking the wheel. As he started the engine, he pulled into the street and made a left turn. He then drove straight down and made a right turn.

"What you want me to roll with you for anyway?" CJ asked Big Smoke.

"No reason," Big Smoke responded. "I just wanted to get in the car pool lane."

"Oh yeah?" CJ scoffed.

"Yeah man," Big Smoke told him. "Just cool out, homie, just chill."

"Your cousin's coming here?" CJ asked skeptically. "From Mexico?"

"Yeah, me an' her go way back," Big Smoke replied. "Way back."

"Ah Smoke, you full a shit!" CJ cried out as he reached East Los Santos.

"Don't be prejudiced again in my presence, Carl," Big Smoke told him. "Everybody is my cousin."

* * *

CJ made a drive through East Los Santos until he finally slowed down to a quiet neighborhood.

"OK," Big Smoke whispered to CJ as he pointed to the neighborhood residents to the left, "my cousin Mary's in there, sweet, sticky, bud fresh off the plantation."

CJ pulled up in front of two fat Vagos under Big Smoke's signals. "Hey, pull up here, let me do the talking," Big Smoke told CJ.

"Man, I should've known," CJ muttered coming to a stop. Big Smoke's "cousin" was really a euphemism of weed, which he was picking from two Vagos gangsters.

"Hey," Big Smoke called out to the Vagos. "Excusay mes, Jose, yo soy El Grando Smokio, and I want that grass? Comprende?"

CJ and Big Smoke just laughed. Jose then stepped a little closer to the car.

"Eh, fuck you cabron," he shouted at them.

"What?" CJ said.

"Now that ain't nice," Big Smoke grumbled. He turned to the Vagos. "Coughio, up el weedo, before I blow your brains out all over the patio," he told.

"Chinga a tu madre, pendejo," the other Vago told him. The two then walked away.

CJ was now getting fed up. "Man, let me get the heater on this..." CJ said searching for his machine gun.

"Fuck this, man," Big Smoke growled silently as he reached in the back seat for the baseball bat. "Fuck this."

Big Smoke made his way out of the car armed with a baseball bat and crept right behind the Vagos.

"Get him, Smoke," CJ cheered silently.

"Yeah, yeah, you go get that shit, nigga..." Big Smoke said.

With all his stout might, Big Smoke swung the bat and smacked one of the Vagos on the back of his head, knocking him out cold. "Damn!" he cried out as he fell to the ground.

"Yeah, motherfucker, Big Smoke!" Big Smoke growled at the unconscious Vago as he kicked him in the stomach. "Remember that name!"

* * *

He watched as Jose, the Vago's partner, took off running away

"We gotta stick to him!" Big Smoke told CJ, who instantly hopped out of the car to catch up with Big Smoke.

CJ ran harder to catch up to Jose while Big Smoke stopped to catch his breath after running for thirty seconds, leaving CJ to chase after Jose himself.

"I ain't built for this shit!" Smoke groaned trying to catch his breath.

Meanwhile, CJ ran up to the Vago and pulled out his pistol. He ran faster to catch up to the Vago and aimed carefully at him, pulling the trigger as he shot and killed the Vago, stopping to catch his breath.

Just then, he heard his cellphone ring. CJ pulled it out of his pocket to answer it.

"Yo," CJ answered.

"Hey, Carl," he heard Big Smoke say over the phone. "You ain't abandon me, have you?"

"Naw," CJ replied. "You just need to run on the treadmill at the gym, fat boy!"

"Hey, I'm big-boned!" Big Smoke protested. "I wasn't built for running!"

"But you were built for dancing, right?" CJ responded.

"That's different," Big Smoke claimed. "I stay at one spot when I dance."

CJ just chuckled. "A'ight, Smoke," he told the fat man. "I'm on my way over there."

So CJ ran back to the neighborhood in Los Santos and came across Big Smoke, who was struggling to catch his breath.

"Seriously, Smoke," CJ told him. "You need to lay off the fast food, man."

"I think I might consider the gym after all," Big Smoke conceded. "I need the stamina to catch and pop some fools."

"Shit, Smoke," CJ told him. "You the brains of the families. Sweet's the leader, and Ryder thinks he's a genius when he's really a hardcore soldier, just like me."

"You right, CJ," Big Smoke replied. "We all one balanced family, baby. We got each other. You my homie for life, Dog!"

He gave CJ a handshake. "For life, Smoke," CJ told him. "For life!"

"You go on ahead, Carl," Big Smoke told him. "I'ma be back at my car driving to my place."

CJ watched as Big Smoke walked away. He scratched his head. What were Tenpenny and Pulaski doing in his house? And why did Smoke needed to pick up weed from the Vagos?

Something was up. But CJ decided not to question too much and rode away to get some lunch at Burger Shot.


	17. Chapter 17: Madd Dogg's Rhymes

Inside Burger Shot, OG Loc was cleaning the washroom when he stopped, looked at himself into the mirror, and started to freestyle.

"Hey hey hey, it's OG Loc, homie," OG Loc announced staring in the blank direction, imagining himself in front of the crowd, "and I'm gonna kick it a little something like this... Hey yo, when I come through up in the place, You don't want me to call with a gun in your face... I feel it harder, Than anybody in the world could do, Just like a..."

"Yo!" a man who had just exited the stall interrupted. "That shit sucks! Damn!"

He turned to leave, while OG Loc kicked the bucket in frustration. He just knew the man was right. "Damn - my shit was whack!" he said in frustration.

CJ then entered the restroom. "Hey, what's happening, Loc?" he asked.

"Hey Carl - what up, man?" OG Loc greeted giving him a handshake.

"Hey, dude," CJ told him. "You even thought about getting a writer to help you out with this shit?"

"Yeah, I did," OG Loc replied. "But who, homie, who?"

"Shit," CJ shrugged. "I ain't in the rap game, you know, that ain't my thing. But we'll have to think about something. Man."

"How about if I get somebody to write something for me, only they didn't know about it?" OG Loc told him.

CJ just stared at him sideways. "What?" he asked bewildered.

OG Loc then laughed. "I think I just might have found a ghostwriter," he cheered. "I'll become the reciter, all nighter, all righter! Madd Dogg's rhyme book! From his home in the hills!"

"Madd Dogg's rhyme book?" CJ asked sounding skeptical.

"Man, you said you'd help, Carl," OG Loc whined. "C'mon man. I'm hot, like fire, All nighter, All righter, When I kick it, I feel I hit it..." He started dancing like a lunatic during a failed attempt at freestyling.

"Hey hey heyeyeyey," CJ told OG Loc trying to get him to stop dancing. "I'll do anything, homie. I swear that. OK?"

* * *

CJ walked out of the bathroom shaking his head. Was he really going to break into the mansion of a famous rapper to rob him for his rhyme book? A famous one?

CJ hopped onto his bicycle and rode off. He pedaled north of the city. The cars on the road were moving rather steadily, and CJ spotted a navy blue lowrider playing "Rump Shaker" by Wreckx-N-Effect on high volume. The sky above the city was a reddish orange evening.

CJ pedaled all the way up the hill, where he saw that Madd Dogg's crib was pretty high up. It was a white mansion sitting all the way on the tip top of Vinewood. CJ felt his legs ache as he continued pedaling. Sweat was dripping on his forehead and soaked his T-shirt. It was a hassle to ride his bicycle all the way up the hill.

_How does this rapper stand scaling the hills here? _CJ thought.

CJ stared straight ahead to see a slope leading to the entrance of the mansion. Sighing in relief, he pedaled as quickly as he can up the slope and finally made it to the door. CJ parked the bicycle adjacent to the door and hopped off, entering the front of the mansion.

* * *

As CJ finally made it inside Madd Dogg's crib, he knew that he had to stay silent about this. Because if the guards saw him around, they'd attempt to kill him for breaking and entering.

So as he crept through the front, CJ made his way behind the first guard, who was oblivious to his presence, and hid behind a plant to the left side. CJ watched as the guard then turned around and started walking towards the entrance.

CJ then continued to creep his way through the hallway, making a left turn as the guard was still oblivious to his presence, and went straight to find another room with a swimming pool inside. He quickly hid behind the pillars as another guard walked through the room.

As CJ made it out of the room, he saw that another guard was coming. So he looked to his left to find two dark rooms and hid inside one of them. CJ watched as the guard started to enter and walked through the hallway.

CJ snuck past the third guard as he slowly crept out of the room and crept through the hallway, making a left turn. As he made it through the bar to the left, he viewed one guard standing behind the counter while the other one was playing video games inside a nearby living room.

"This shit sucks!" the guard playing the video games shouted at the game. "I mean, how could Refractions mess up so bad? Tanner, you suck ass!"

CJ ignored the two guards as he crept under the counter and sofa in the living room and continued creeping through the hallways, making a right turn.

Through the hallways, CJ saw the recording room up ahead and finally came across Madd Dogg's rhyme book. CJ hesitated slightly. He didn't plan on ending the career of a famous rapper, but he did it for his friend.

So CJ took a furtive look around the hallway outside and quietly grabbed the book. He snuck his was to the other end of the hallway, where there was a kitchen downstairs and a dining room right next door.

CJ quietly crept up the stairs and walked slowly through the hallway, which had so many doorways to many bedrooms on the side.

_Man, this guy has a fancy ass crib, _CJ thought. _Can't believe he uses this book for his rhymes._

* * *

After a while, CJ finally made it to the backdoor and quietly exited the crib. He quickly ran to his bicycle that was on the other side of the mansion and hopped on, pedaling it with the rhyme book down the slope of the driveway of Madd Dogg's crib.

CJ didn't turn back. He had successfully got the rhyme book out of Madd Dogg's crib without attracting the guards' attention, and he wasn't about to see if any of them found out afterwards.

CJ pedaled through the city of Los Santos and finally made it back to Burger Shot, where OG Loc was just waiting for him outside. CJ hopped out of his bike and showed OG Loc the rhyme book.

* * *

"Hey Loc, I got what you wanted," CJ said giving Loc the rhyme book.

"Holmes, you ice cold, dude!" OG Loc congratulated giving CJ a handshake.

"Hey, I'll catch you later," CJ told him walking away.

"Peace, homie!" OG Loc called back walking away.

CJ started to walk away, having qualms of how Madd Dogg's career would turn once he discovered his rhyme book was missing. He hoped he didn't have to deal with any more of OG Loc's schemes again after that.

* * *

CJ didn't have any time to think about OG Loc's scheming. He had just heard his cellphone ring and pulled it out of his pocket to answer.

"What's hanging?" CJ answered.

"Don't try and hit me up with that ghetto babble, boy!" he heard Officer Tenpenny scold him.

"Officer Tenpenny!" CJ cried out. "How'd you get my number?"

"Ways and means, you piece of shit!" Tenpenny told him. "You been trying to avoid me?"

"No sir," CJ replied flippantly. "I am just busy, that's all."

"You're not busy unless you're doing something for us, you understand?" Tenpenny demanded.

"Yeah," CJ responded in a caustic tone of voice. "Loud and clear."

"Nice to hear Carl," Tenpenny replied. "Call in to the doughnut place in the middle of Market. We need to talk."

CJ let out a hard sigh. _What the hell Tenpenny want from me this time? _He thought.

He didn't want to question it anymore. He just took a deep breath, hopped back onto his bicycle, and rode off.


	18. Chapter 18: Burning Desire

CJ finally made it to Jim's Sticky Ring donut shop and hopped off his bicycle. He took a deep breath and slowly strolled inside the shop.

"Hey!" Tenpenny called out to CJ. "Carl Johnson! CJ!"

"Oh, shit..." CJ muttered to himself. He saw that Tenpenny, Pulaski, and Hernandez were sitting at the table.

"Come on over here, son!" Tenpenny ordered.

CJ reluctantly walked over to the policemen. Tenpenny and Pulaski were sitting adjacent to each other while Hernandez was on the other side of the seat. CJ stood over them as Hernandez looked up to him.

"Move over, let him sit down, asshole!" Tenpenny demanded Hernandez, who slid over to the side to give CJ some room. CJ slowly dropped to the seat.

"So, you finally found time to drop by," Tenpenny told CJ.

"Man, I've been busy," CJ protested. "I've been burying my moms, man."

"Sounds like a fucking excuse to me," Pulaski uttered bluntly.

"Officer Pulaski thinks you're trying to screw with us, Carl," Tenpenny said. His expression then altered from laid-back to strict.

"Now you get this straight," Tenpenny informed CJ with a stern tone of voice. "We own you. You're ours. We can shit on you from such a height you'll think God himself has crapped on you. You understand?"

"He better fucking understand," Pulaski added.

"Yeah, he better had," Tenpenny agreed. "Time to go to work, CJ, and earn your freedom."

CJ just turned his head back in deference and hopped onto his feet. He couldn't catch a break from the cops no matter what he did, and he was feeling very irritated of them always on his back when he wanted nothing to do with them.

"There's a guy holed up across town," Tenpenny informed CJ. "You got that address, Pulaski?"

Pulaski reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip. "Another gangbanging, drug-pushing, cop-killing bitch, just like you," Tenpenny said as Pulaski slid the slip to CJ's direction. "We don't like him and he don't like us."

CJ reached over to grab the slip. "Now you make sure he never leaves the neighborhood - not even in a box," Tenpenny ordered. "Now get the fuck outta here!"

* * *

As CJ walked away, he read the address on the slip. He also read the part where Tenpenny wrote down that some Molotov cocktails were hidden in an alleyway in Downtown Los Santos. So CJ hopped onto his bike and pedaled away.

During the bike ride, CJ wondered why C.R.A.S.H. wanted them doing their own dirty work for him, especially for the fact that they didn't even like him and vice-versa. It was all becoming complicated to him.

CJ finally made it to the alleyway of Downtown Los Santos and saw the Molotov cocktails right ahead. As he hopped off his bicycle, he ran to the Molotov cocktails, picked them up, ran back onto his bicycle, and rode off.

CJ read the address of the house where a guy C.R.A.S.H. wanted to eliminate and continued pedaling. He finally reached the residence, which was a house on East Los Santos right across the train tracks. There were also a gang of Vagos around the house as well.

So while on his bike, CJ took the Molotov cocktails and threw each of them at all of the first-floor windows one by one. Soon, the whole building was now on fire, and CJ watched as it began to burn. There was no way the guy could survive that now.

* * *

His celebration, of course, didn't last long. As he was about to get onto his bike, he heard a woman screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Somebody help me!" the woman screamed. "HELLLLP!"

_Ah shit! _CJ thought. _Now I have to play the hero!_

So CJ hopped off his bike and ran back inside the burning building. As CJ stepped inside, he saw that the flames were spreading around the kitchen and living room. Smoke permeated the whole house and obscured the rooms, making it difficult for CJ to see through.

CJ squinted his eyes and navigated through the hallways until he finally came across the kitchen, where he spotted a fire extinguisher. He grabbed the extinguisher and darted out of the kitchen. He took the stairs to the end and made his way through the hallway, where he came across the room just down the end. There, CJ heard the girl's cries for help.

"Put it out!" she cried.

"Stand back!" CJ warned.

He took the fire extinguisher and sprayed it on the fire that was blocking the doorway. It took a while, but he finally put the fire out and came across the screaming woman.

She was a slim African-American woman wearing a black and red football jersey, a long-sleeved white shirt underneath, red-and-white sweatpants, and a black bandana on her head covering her black hair she had tied to a ponytail.

"Oh God, I'm so scared!" she cried.

Just then, a crash from the hallway was heard. "Oh my God!" the woman cried. "What was that?!"

"Hey, the building's starting to collapse," CJ told her. "We gotta get out of here, fast!"

As CJ guided the woman out of the bedroom, he saw that the walls had fallen apart, blocking the path of one side of the hallways.

So CJ and the woman went around the other room, with CJ using the fire extinguished to put out the fires. He squinted his eyes hard as the smoke fumes were started to impair his vision.

Eventually, the two made it downstairs, and CJ put out a few more flames right before he guided the woman out of the door.

The two finally made it out of the front door, and CJ stared at the unscathed woman.

* * *

"Hey, man, I owe you my life..." she told him giving him a hug. "I was nearly dead there, for sure!"

"Hey, you look pretty shook up, girl," CJ told her. "You want me to take you home?"

"Yeah, please, thanks," the woman told him.

CJ spotted a parked Voodoo outside and decided to hop inside. The woman hopped in with him, and CJ drove off.

"Where you live?" CJ asked the woman.

"Just off Grove Street," the woman answered.

"No shit!" CJ said. "What you doing in Vagos 'hood?"

"I like to live dangerously," the woman replied. "You're CJ, right?"

"Yeah," CJ said as he drove through Jefferson. "How you know me?"

"Everybody in the Grove knows you and your brother," the woman told him. "But I thought you'd run away."

"I never 'ran away' OK," CJ protested. "I just needed to... get away from shit."

CJ drove down the bridge and made a left turn down the street all the way to the other end.

"This is my place, here!" the woman told him as CJ came to a stop in front of the house right next to the overpass in Ganton.

"Hey, what's your name?" CJ asked.

"Denise," the woman answered. "Denise Robinson. Give me a call sometime, we should go out, or something." She handed CJ a card with her phone number.

"Yeah, I'd like that," CJ said.

He watched Denise exit the car and run to her house. But not before turning around to face him to give him a wave.

"OK, I'll catch you later, CJ," Denise told him, and she turned to run back into her house.

CJ felt satisfied. He had just saved a girl's life and would possibly have her as his first ever girlfriend.

_Looks like working for Tenpenny finally did me some good after all, _CJ thought.

He decided to head back to his home street in the cul-de-sac. So he drove straight down the road and made a left turn on the alleyway. He drove straight and pulled up in front of his home street.


	19. Chapter 19: Doberman

CJ was just about to exit the vehicle and enter the house when he heard his cellphone ring. CJ pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and answered it.

"Yo, Carl!" he heard Sweet answer.

"What's up, Sweet?" CJ replied.

"We got a problem," Sweet informed. "Some punk ass bitch has been slinging onto his Grove brothers."

"What?!" CJ asked.

"Check this out," Sweet told him. "He's been buying shit over in Glen Park. He know the hood's talking, and he's hiding out with his new Balla friends."

"Well, how we gonna get to him?" CJ asked.

"It's time for you to announce your return, CJ!" Sweet told him. "You fuck up Glen Park, and that turncoat bitch-ass nigga's gonna lose nerve, and make a break for it."

"Okay, I'm a come pick you up," CJ told him.

"Hell no!" Sweet denied. "This is your gig, CJ. You need some stripes. Get over to Ammu-Nation, and get a heater."

* * *

CJ knew that this wasn't the time to go out on a date just yet. So he put away his phone and turned around to drive off. CJ sped through the roads and finally made his way to Market Street, where he parked right in front of the Ammu-Nation.

Before CJ could take out the rat, CJ had to work on his weapon accuracy. He may have spent all five years in Liberty City committing crimes, but he was still pretty rusty when it came to accuracy. So CJ decided to join the shooting range.

During the shooting range, CJ had four challenges: pistols, machine guns, shotguns, and assault rifles. Each challenge per weapon, the shooter would had to shoot a stationary target, a moving target, and a target moving all over the place.

CJ started with the pistol and nailed each target impeccably. The shotgun was even simpler for him since CJ had to shoot the weapon once in a while, giving him plenty of time to aim before taking the shot. The machine gun on the other hand was a bit difficult since CJ struggled to take control due to its rapid firing of the bullets, thus struggling to keep it steady. This, of course, made the assault rifle even more difficult to handle since unlike the machine gun, it was much more rapid at firing, and CJ struggled to keep his accuracy as he shot the targets in the shooting range, but after minutes of practice, he was starting to get the hang of it. He practiced for a full hour, and soon, he was now ready for a gang war.

_It's time! _CJ thought.

* * *

He purchased some weapons and walked out of the store, storing the weapons inside the vehicle as he hopped inside and took off driving back to his home street.

At Grove Street, he recruited three members to come along with him and they hopped inside and drove straight over to Glen Park.

"Y'all ready for this?" CJ asked the Grove Street Family members.

"Ready!" they replied.

"Time to show these Balla Dope Pushers that we ain't no cowards!" CJ announced.

He wanted to show the Ballas that he was back for good. So he and the rest of the members hopped out of the vehicle and shot at each of the three members of the Ballas, instigating a gang war.

The Ballas all dispersed through Glen Park and charged after CJ and the other members of the Grove Street Families gang. CJ and his gang took cover of the firing bullets shot at them by the Ballas and ducked behind the walls of the bridge. From behind, they used their machine guns to fire back at the Ballas and murdered each of them one by one. The shootout lasted for a good fifty seconds until every member of the Ballas were dead.

CJ and his friends ran up to the Ballas gang's corpses and found that they dropped AK-47s as well. They each picked them up and prepared themselves just in time for the second wave of the war. The next members of the Ballas were all armed with assault rifles and shotguns. CJ and his friends took cover around the park and shot as many gang members as they can. After another fifty-second shoot-out, they survived the second wave.

This brought them to their final wave, as the Ballas were now armed with even tougher gang members and much more dangerous weapons. This was a big challenge for CJ and his gang. So the shoot-out lasted for a minute and thirty seconds this time. CJ and his friends were dodging as many bullets as they can while the Ballas used their weapons to fire at them. Luckily, CJ and the other members of his gang had the upper hand and killed each Ballas member one by one, and soon, they finally took over Glen Park.

* * *

This also attracted a Ballas gang members named Little Weasel, who appeared to be a fat man wearing a purple chore jacket, baggy jeans, and a purple bandana on his head. He was shown leaving his home.

"Tenpenny set me up!" he shouted in a panicking voice.

CJ stared at his gang allies. "Okay, y'all just drive out of here," he told them. "I'll handle Little Weasel myself."

The members complied and ran to the vehicle down the street. CJ watched as Little Weasel ran down the street. CJ chased after the rat and pulled out his pistol. He aimed and fired at the traitor, striking him with multiple bullets, killing him.

CJ proudly tucked his pistol around his waist and stared down at the rat's corpse. He had taken over his first hood since his return in Los Santos, and he knew that it would be a lot tougher once he try to take over the rest of the territories.

So CJ decided to take a small little celebration and strolled down the street. It was now clear that CJ was back home for good, and even if C.R.A.S.H. didn't make him stay in Los Santos, CJ would still make the same choice for himself anyway since he missed the old days where the gang was actually active. The Ballas and Vagos were going to have to watch out now, because Grove Street was now there to reclaim their turf.


	20. Chapter 20: Los Sepulcros

CJ hopped out of the car and looked around the neighborhood. The hazy orange evening sky blazed about the neighborhood. CJ looked ahead to see that the Grove Street Family gangsters were rounded up.

"Carl, whassup, baby brother?" Sweet told CJ as he ran up to CJ.

"What's happening?" CJ replied giving Sweet a handshake.

"Peep this," Sweet informed. "Tenpenny just came by. Said that one of the Ballas that you laid out, Little Weasel, is getting buried. And all of the OG's gonna be there."

"At a funeral?" CJ asked.

"Yeah," Sweet answered. "We just catch all those ball-sack-ass-niggas at one time!

"Hey what up?" one member of the Grove Street Families in the background said to the other.

"What up, Dawg?" the other said back.

"At a funeral?" CJ reiterated.

"Just like Momma's," Sweet said as the other Grove Street Families members came together to join the two Johnson brothers and gave them a vocal greeting each. "Let's go pop these motherfuckers out. Hey, look, we gotta do something real big. Put Grove Street on the map for good. 4 life!"

"A'ight, nigga," CJ agreed. "Let's roll."

* * *

CJ was ready to ambush the impending funeral, the same way the Ballas ambushed his mother's funeral a few days prior. it was a great opportunity for him to retaliate against his rival gang.

"We're gonna need some allies," Sweet said.

So CJ recruited two members of the Grove Street Families members and they followed along to hop inside Sweet's Greenwood. CJ took the driver's seat and started the engine before he rode away. He turned on the radio to hear "T.R.O.Y." by Pete Rock & CL Smooth playing.

"We'll go around back of Los Sepulcros and sneak over the wall," Sweet ordered.

"Kane?" CJ asked driving straight through Idlewood. "Ain't that cat Front Yard royalty?"

"Yeah," Sweet replied. "So if there's a hint of trouble, he's a no-show."

It was clear to CJ. He knew that he and the rest of the gang had to stay discreet in order to ambush the funeral. He knew that if they caused the ambush right away, Kane would be suspicious and would refuse to show up.

* * *

So CJ continued driving through Commerce street and past Pershing Square. He knew that he had to get to the funeral quickly before it even started.

When CJ finally made it to the cemetery in Vinewood, he parked the car behind the wall, and all four of the members exited the vehicle.

"This is it," Sweet told the rest of the members.

Sweet and the two gangsters climbed over the wall to the cemetery.

"OK, CJ, come on over!" Sweet called silently.

CJ followed along and climbed the wall to approach Sweet.

"Y'all take up positions, and wait for Kane," Sweet ordered the rest of the guys.

So CJ and the other two gangsters stood and waited for Kane to arrive. They were getting their weapons ready to fire at their intended target. Just then, they saw a gray Admiral slowly pulling up into the cemetery.

"Here he comes..." Sweet announced as they spotted a group of Ballas gang member exited the vehicle. One of them had on a red scully, purple hoodie, and black pants. He appeared to be Kane.

"Looks like that buster's wearing armor," Sweet called. "Might take a round or two to drop his ass. OK, CJ, you take Kane, and we'll take the rest of these fools out."

Sweet and the other three dispersed to take out the rest of the Ballas gang members while CJ chased after Kane, who attempted to escape through the exit of the cemetery. By the time CJ got close enough, he aimed his machine gun at an escaping Kane and fired at him. He watched as the bullets struck Kane in the back of his head and killed him.

"Nice one, CJ!" Sweet said as he and the other two gangsters murdered the rest of the Ballas members. "I'll get us a getaway car!"

* * *

CJ followed Sweet and the other gangsters and they all hopped into a parked Admiral.

"OK, everybody in, let's roll!" Sweet demanded.

CJ stomped hard on the gas and drove out of the cemetery as fast as he could. He didn't turn back. He knew that the police were probably going to get involved in the gang war and wasn't in the mood to deal with the LSPD. CJ sped and sped through the city of Los Santos until he finally reach Ganton on the Grove Street Families' home.

"Man, we was a force back there!" Sweet said as he and the others exited the vehicle. "Everybody go home, stay low, we ain't see each other all day, copy? I'll catch you later, Carl."

"You too, Sweet," CJ said.

Sweet and the other members entered Sweet's house while CJ headed to his mother's house. He was feeling rather confident of himself. He had saved a girl that might possibly go out with her and had weakened the Ballas by murdering both of their members. So he headed to his mother's bedroom, took off his sneakers, and plopped onto the mattress. It had been a long day for him, and it was time for him to take a rest to refuel his energy for tomorrow.

Just then, he saw his mother's ghost appearing in front of him by the doorway of the bedroom.

"Moms!" he cried out.

"Where were you, Carl?" his mother asked in an eerie tone of voice. "I've been waiting for you for five years, and you haven't called!"

"Look, Moms," CJ protested. "I'm sorry! I never expected this to happen to you! I didn't mean for any of this!"

"Join me, Carl!" his mother told him holding a knife and aiming for his chest. "Join meeeeee!" She then heaved the knife into CJ's chest.

CJ then woke up suddenly. He lifted his head from the bed examined his chest. He looked around to find that no one was around and saw that his chest was unscathed. CJ was so haunted and remorseful of his mother's death that he began having dreams of his mother. He was already still hurt of what happened to Brian just five years ago. So without thinking about it anymore, CJ drifted back to sleep.


	21. Chapter 21: Gray Imports

The next morning, CJ decided to take a bike ride around the city. It was sunny outside, and the air was stiff and static. He rode through Downtown Los Santos and Market.

He then saw Jim's Sticky Ring donut shop on Market and decided to go for some donuts at the moment. He hadn't eaten breakfast today, and was looking forward to enjoy some donuts and coffee. So he parked his bicycle by the building and started to enter the shop.

* * *

"Carl!" Pulaski cried out exiting the shop as he saw CJ unwillingly walk right in front of him.

"Damn!" CJ said.

_I guess I should've anticipated those dirty cops still being around, _CJ thought.

He turned to quickly leave, but Pulaski grabbed him by the collar and held him back. "Where you off to?" Pulaski asked him turning CJ around to face him.

"Shit!" CJ muttered

Tenpenny came out of the shop as well "Where you running off to, Carl?" he asked CJ as Hernandez exited from behind. "I thought we were friends."

"Yeah, whatever..." CJ replied sarcastically.

"As an officer in charge of putting an end to gang violence," Tenpenny told him, "I find myself in a difficult moral position, Carl.

"Yeah, right," CJ uttered trying not to make contact with the two officers.

"Carl, I'm hurt," Tenpenny said grinning, mocking a desperate officer begging for mercy. "I truly am. And just as I was about to help those poor Grove Street boys."

"Oh, yeah?" CJ asked still sounding skeptical of Tenpenny's contention. "How?"

"I like the status quo, Carl," Tenpenny told CJ, his grin growing wider as the other two officers went to their police car. "I like having all you bastards doing my job for me - blowing each other's guts all over the sidewalk."

"Dumb bastards?!" CJ muttered.

"Now, if it's brought to my attention that one tribe gets an unfair advantage over another," Tenpenny continued facing CJ. "That truly troubles me, Carl."

CJ just stared hard at Tenpenny. "So what you saying, man?" he finally asked.

"I'm saying the Ballas have brains, Carl," Tenpenny responded motioning to his police car. "They watch the news. I'm saying they're making friends, cutting deals, and tooling up for more than half-assed drive-bys. Lots of cheap guns coming into America since the fall of the wall, Carl."

Tenpenny headed to the passenger door of the car.

"Man, cut that bullshit, Tenpenny," CJ finally blurted out, tired of the cop's faux-helpful advice. "Just say what you mean, man."

"Go check out a busy freight warehouse down the docklands and you'll see what I mean, Carl," Tenpenny replied.

"Yeah, okay," CJ said.

"Y'all take care now," Pulaski said as Tenpenny hopped into the passenger's seat.

"F'sho," CJ replied, and he watched as the cops promptly drove away.

* * *

CJ shook his head. It was too much for the officers to have him do their dirty work for him, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with any cops in general. So he wanted to get this over with right away and hopped onto his bicycle. He pedaled through the city as fast as his scrawny legs could carry him and finally made it to the Ocean Docks, where the Russians and Ballas were having a meeting in the warehouse, Gray Imports to be exact.

_I see why Tenpenny wanted me to do this job, _CJ thought.

CJ first needed to find a way to sneak inside to gain access into the office, where the deal was set in. So he crept behind the wall of the front gate and took a furtive look around the warehouse. He pulled out his machine guns and used them to shoot at the gangs, using the wall as cover.

CJ snuck behind the freight container trains and shot down some more Russian gangs inside the warehouse. As he got past them, he snuck up to the garage of the warehouse and saw it open, with more Russians shooting at him.

CJ took cover and shot them back, killing them one by one. There were stacks of boxes inside. So CJ used them to take cover when he would encounter any more Russian gangsters that might pop out of nowhere to shoot at him.

He continued navigating through the maze of boxes and shot more Russian gangsters who tried to take him down. As CJ continued navigating through the inside of the warehouse and taking down more of the gangs who kept getting into his way, CJ made his way up the stairs in the back and came across some Ballas into the office. CJ took them out as well and spotted the Russian arms dealer inside as well.

"Stop!" the dealer shouted as CJ finally confronted him inside the office. "We could do business!"

"Yeah," CJ responded. "We could do business – by trading your fate in for them bucks!"

CJ prepared to kill the dealer, but the latter turned away and ran out the backdoor. CJ just chased after him.

"Fuck you, Americansky!" the dealer shouted still running away. "I'm gone!"

CJ just continued to chase after the dealer as the latter dashed down the stairs outside.

"Doing business in America is dangerous!" the dealer shouted still continuing to run away without even turning back.

CJ just continued to chase the dealer, with many Russians outside shooting at him as well. CJ just shot them all down one by one and chased the dealer. When he made it to the exit of the gates, he saw that the dealer was about to escape via Banshee. So he watched the dealer hop inside and shot the dealer's vehicle, causing to explode as he shot the gas tank from the side.

CJ walked to the crispy vehicle and picked up the money that flew around the vehicle.

"Pleasure doing business with you," CJ told the deceased dealer.

CJ looked around to see if anyone else was following him. He ran outside of the warehouse without turning back and hopped back onto his bicycle that was parked outside. CJ heard his stomach growl and was still hungry. So he pedaled back to the city to return to the donut shop to get some food.


	22. Chapter 22: Wrong Side of the Tracks

After a few hours had passed, CJ rode through Idlewood to meet up at Big Smoke's place. He then saw the garage door opening to find Tenpenny and Pulaski exiting out.

"Hey, Carl," Tenpenny told him. "Keeping busy, I hope."

"You know me, Officer Tenpenny," CJ told him getting right into his face.

"Yeah, I know you, Carl," Tenpenny told CJ, not intimidated by CJ in the slightest. "I know everything about you."

"Don't touch me," CJ murmured angrily. "Get you pig hands off me..."

"That's right, Carl," Tenpenny told him as he and Pulaski walked away. "I got my eye on you."

"And?" CJ replied. "Like I give a fuck."

"We're watching you, Carl!" Pulaski told him tossing a cigarette at him.

"Motherfucker!" CJ snarled as Pulaski walked away chuckling to himself.

The two dirty cops left, and Smoke came out of his garage. "What was that all about, baby?" he asked CJ.

"You tell me," CJ told him eyeing him suspiciously.

"Aw hell, man," Big Smoke replied. "They got their nose in everything. Can't shit without Tenpenny taking an interest. The hell with him."

"Yeah, I guess," CJ muttered uninterested. "What's really up?"

"Hey, thinking of taking a little ride," Big Smoke said trying to change the subject. "Three deep mentioned a little something that might put us deeper in the game."

"A'ight, I'm down," CJ said, and he and Smoke hopped into Smoke's Glendale afterwards. "Where to, Smoke?"

"Unity Station!" Big Smoke answered as CJ pulled out of the driveway to make a right turn on the road.

* * *

CJ didn't say another word. He just continued driving straight and made a right turn on El Corona. He was still confused, as this was the second time he had Tenpenny and Pulaski exiting his house. What was going on between Big Smoke and the dirty cops? Sure, Smoke claimed that they keep nosing around, but it didn't explain why he kept on inviting them inside his home to begin with. Something was definitely going on.

CJ just continued driving and finally reached Unity Station and parked right in the parking lot. "What we looking for, Smoke?" CJ asked Big Smoke.

"Some Vagos cats meeting some San Fierro Rifa," Big Smoke answered as he and CJ hopped out of the vehicle. "Cutting some kind of deal."

"San Fierro?" CJ asked suspiciously. "I thought Northern Mexicans don't mix with Los Santos eses."

"Shit, you got me," Big Smoke admitted.

CJ then spotted the Vagos hopping from the top of the tunnel onto an oncoming train. "That look like them!" CJ called.

"Motherfuckers clocked us!" Big Smoke shouted. "We got to get these fools!"

* * *

The two spotted a motorbike parked adjacent to Smoke's vehicle, and they ran to and hopped onto the bike. "C'mon, CJ, we gotta ice these fools," Big Smoke declared. "Roll up on them, CJ, so I can get a shot!"

CJ then started the bike and darted to the train. "Get me close, CJ!" Big Smoke demanded. "I'm about to pop these fools!"

CJ raced faster to get closer to the Vagos on top of the moving train. Big Smoke pulled out his machine gun and fired at the Vagos gang members. The train turned to a curve, causing it to roll away faster, and Big Smoke's shots were becoming less accurate.

CJ rode faster to catch up, only to find out that there was a car sitting right in front of the tracks. The train made no effort to stop and continued rolling, running into a car, which exploded as it got ran over. CJ barely dodged the explosion and continued riding.

"OH FUCK!" Big Smoke shouted as he heard a loud horn. "OH! ONCOMING TRAIN!"

CJ barely got out of the way as the train running the opposite direction passed by. As they entered the tunnel, Big Smoke continued shooting at the Vagos as CJ got closer to the train, which had now entered the tunnel. Big Smoke had already shot two Vagos and continued to aim at the remaining two.

"Take that path on the right!" Smoke shouted as the two exited the other end of the tunnel to the Badlands.

CJ knew he wasn't allowed to leave Los Santos. So he had to stay close to the Vagos before the train got on the other side of the land.

Just then another horn blared. "LOOK THE FUCK OUT, CJ!" Big Smoke shouted. "THE TRAIN!"

CJ got past the train and got closer to the one with the Vagos on top. It took seconds, but Big Smoke finally shot at the Vagos and both of them dropped dead, their corpses lying on top of the moving train.

* * *

"Hey, let's get outta here before the cops show, man!" Big Smoke ordered CJ.

CJ turned back around and headed on the opposite side of the train tracks.

"Was it always like this, Smoke?" CJ asked Big Smoke as he rode back through the tunnel.

"Was what always like this?" Big Smoke asked back

"Always fucked up around here?" CJ asked exiting the tunnel and onto the streets of Los Santos. "Or is it because of the drugs?"

"What you think, man?" Smoke asked equivocally.

"I don't know," CJ responded. "That's why I was asking you."

"Yo, ae, ae, don't ask a wise man, friend," Big Smoke replied. "Ask a fool!"

"That's what I was doing," CJ responded as he turned right on Idlewood.

"Well, if you making this thing personal, I ain't speaking on it no more," Big Smoke told him.

CJ just shook his head. Big Smoke was definitely hiding something. Aside from Tenpenny and Pulaski entering and exiting his house two days in a row, he also seemed reticent of all the problems around Los Santos and continued changing the subject every time.

* * *

He finally made it to Big Smoke's house, and the latter hopped off the bike.

"Hey, you better clear out, CJ," Big Smoke told him. "I don't want those C.R.A.S.H. fools trying to pull you into some shit!"

"Alright, homie," CJ replied. "You be careful with those cats. I'm gonna see you later."

CJ still had a bad feeling about Big Smoke. He was starting to be suspicious, hoping he wasn't into anything deep. But he quickly shook that feeling out of them and drove off to his own street. He decided to see Ryder and see what he was up to.


	23. Chapter 23: Catalyst

CJ arrived on his street and pulled up in front of Ryder's house. He hopped off the bike and ran to the front door.

"Yo Ryder!" he called to his friend knocking on the door.

No answer.

CJ saw that the door was open and turned the knob. "Ryder?" he called entering the house. "You in there?"

The song "Fantastic Voyage" by Lakeside was playing inside. CJ entered the kitchen and finally saw Ryder standing by the pot in front of the stove cooking something that was strong.

"Hey, Ryder?" he called. "What the hell you doing?"

"Nigga, I couldn't find that wet I buried," Ryder told him. "So I'm making my own. It's easy, fool.

"Oooh!" CJ said fanning the stench out of his face. "That's strong."

When he saw that Ryder was trying to turn up the flame, he quickly pushed him away. "Man, don't do that!" CJ said. "You'll sauté the both of us."

_Man, where the fuck is Lisa when you need her? _CJ thought.

He wasn't upset though. Because even though his friend was a total pothead, he was at least still on Grove Street's side and opposed to the Ballas. There was nothing that could ruin this evening.

"Morning boys!" he suddenly heard Tenpenny shout out.

_Shit! _CJ thought. _Spoke too fucking soon!_

Ryder glanced at the doorway to see Tenpenny, Pulaski, and Hernandez walking inside the kitchen looking very annoyed. "Man, who you calling a boy, fool?" he shot back at the cop.

"What should I call you?" Tenpenny asked facetiously. "Midget?"

Ryder didn't like it when people commented on his short height. He was only five feet tall, just seven inches shorter than CJ and the shortest of his gang, and he always showed blatant fury whenever anyone would bring it up.

"How about prick?" Pulaski added.

"Prick..." Tenpenny repeated.

"Yeah, prick works," Pulaski agreed as he and the other two cops walked closer to the two Grove Street gangsters.

"Man, fuck you," Ryder told them getting back to his cooking.

"Bitch, get outta here," Tenpenny barked shoving Ryder out of the way.

He took a whiff of the cooking. "Mmm... Smells good," he announced. "What's cooking? Where's mine?"

Ryder just stared at him in a rather confused matter. CJ knew that something was up when a stoner like Ryder is confused as to why someone would want some of his sherm. But then again, this was Tenpenny he was talking about here.

"Man, just chill out, a'ight?" Ryder grumbled shoving Tenpenny out of the way. "Move!"

Ryder reached for the bottle of sherm on the counter. "Here!" he growled silently. "Don't be sweating me, motherfucker."

"Mmm, my wife loves this stuff, man," Tenpenny said.

_So apparently, his wife is a fucking crack addict? _CJ thought to himself. _I'm surprised this asshole even has a wife to begin with._

Tenpenny then handed the bottle to Hernandez as Pulaski chuckled. He then turned to CJ and Ryder. "Anyway," Tenpenny started to explain, "there's a train gonna make an unscheduled stop just down the way. It's got a, how you say, "little something something" on board for you boys. Square business, man."

The cops then turned to leave. "Catch you later, homeboys," Pulaski told them mockingly. Whenever Pulaski used the term "homeboys", it was his way of using it as a euphemism of racial slurs against the gang.

Ryder, of course, caught on to the implicit insult. "Asshole," he called out.

Tenpenny then turned back to face CJ. "Oh Carl," he said. "Try not to kill any more respected police officers. Please?"

"Crime has certainly gone up since you got back, kid," Pulaski added. The cops then turned to leave.

"Just doing my part for the community," CJ called out to them.

"Your train's gonna be there in five," Tenpenny called from his way out of the door.

CJ scratched his head. He wondered why Tenpenny wanted him and Ryder to catch a train. The cops were just around trying to make CJ more miserable than ever. But on the plus side, at least he didn't have to deal with the police officers again.

* * *

After a while, Ryder and CJ walked out of the house, with the former talking the passenger's seat of his own Picador. CJ took the driver's seat.

"You drive, CJ," Ryder told him. "Seeing as you Mr. Driver and all."

"Ahh, not your shit again," CJ groaned as he started driving. "Don't give me a hard time about my driving, I ain't got the energy for it, man!"

"Well don't go roll the damn car over and blow us all up in flames then," Ryder shot back.

"Ah, I ain't rising to your shit, man," CJ responded.

"Good!" Ryder replied as CJ drove to East Los Santos. "Means you'd concentrate on the road then."

CJ just chuckled "You love to give your homies a hard time, huh?" CJ said grinning.

"Just trying to keep my soldiers alive, nigga," Ryder told him sounding more laid-back this time.

"By nagging them to death?" CJ asked turning to face Ryder.

"Watch the road, motherfucker!" Ryder shouted pointing straight ahead of the road. "THE ROAD!

CJ didn't say anything and just complied to Ryder's demands. While he was admittedly getting fed up with Ryder constantly berating him, he tried his best to keep his cool and not let a few insults get to him. After all, he had been treated far worse by other people.

CJ and Ryder finally made it to the railroad by East Los Santos, with the lines dividing Jefferson and Las Colinas. "Yeah, here we go," Ryder whispered as the two of them spotted the Vagos, who had ambushed the train before them.

"That's our train alright," CJ said, "and it look like some Northside Vagos got it first."

So CJ and Ryder ran up to the train and fired their machine guns at them. After the two of them killed the Vagos, only to look behind them to find a Ballas' Admiral pulling up front.

"Oh what's this, we got Ballas trying to crash the party?" Ryder said as he rolled to the right side and fired at the gang.

"Look like Tenpenny told every gang in South Central," CJ said as he assisted Ryder.

"Man we gonna smoke them Balla assholes!" Ryder said as he and CJ shot down the Ballas until they were all gunned down. "Go check out the train, CJ!" he later demanded.

* * *

So CJ ran to the train and climbed the back cargo, only to have the train moving.

"Damn, what is that?" CJ asked as the train started moving.

"Chill out, fool!" Ryder called as he got on the back of his Picador, which was being driven by a Grove Street member. "We're gonna be right behind you! Throw me some boxes, CJ!"

CJ grabbed one of the crates from the cargo. They were heavy, but CJ was able to lift them carefully. He tossed it to Ryder, who caught it with ease.

"Damn, not so hard!" Ryder yelled.

CJ picked up another crate and tossed it to Ryder. "Nice throw, fool!" Ryder shouted.

CJ repeated the process three more times. "Bull's eye!" Ryder shouted. "Keep it coming!"

The train moved even faster, and the Grove Street member continued following behind. CJ tossed three more crates to Ryder one by one. "Oh gyeah!" Ryder shouted. "And another one!

CJ then tossed the final crate to Ryder. "Okay, CJ, that's all I can carry!" Ryder shouted as the driver of his Picador came to a stop.

* * *

CJ sighed in relief as he hopped off the train. "Hop in the car and stamp out, fool!" Ryder ordered.

The Grove Street member slid over to the passenger's seat and let CJ take the wheel. Just then, CJ heard police sirens.

"Man, we got one-time on our tail!" Ryder shouted.

CJ drove through Idlewood to shake off the police car chasing after him. Ryder saw the police car and fired his machine gun at the chasing vehicle. "I'm getting' tired of this!" Ryder shouted. "Fuck off!"

As the police car continued chasing the vehicle, Ryder continued shooting back. "Back off, one-time!" he shouted. "I'm as free as a butterfly!"

The sheer mention of the final word in Ryder's sentence caused CJ's heart to skip a bit. Through Idlewood, CJ finally made his way to the Paint 'n' Spray shop just in time to avoid the cops. After finally losing the cops, CJ backed the car out of the garage and made it onto the road.

"Head back to Grove Street, fool!" Ryder demanded.

So CJ drove out of Idlewood and across the tracked to Ganton. He came to the street under the overpass and made it to his own street.

* * *

"Damn, homie, your stuff was tight!" Ryder told CJ.

"You too, homie!" CJ said. "Don't forget our homie here. He helped us too."

CJ gestured to the Grove Street member sitting adjacent to him. "Hell yeah!" the latter replied.

"LB's coming over to stash the shit," Ryder said as CJ backed up into Ryder's driveway.

"You know what, Ryder?" CJ told Ryder as he hopped out of the vehicle and faced him. "I think Tenpenny set us all up. He tried to get us killed by ambushing us at the railroad tracks."

"Jeah?" Ryder replied. "Well his plan failed miserably. Guess that motherfucker didn't anticipate me and you being natural robbers and ice cold killas. He underestimated you and me – the kung-fu genius like me and the ice cold whipper snapper like you, homie. Keep this up, and you might earn my respect back for you, CJ."

"Okay, later then," CJ said.

"For life, CJ, for life - you heard?" Ryder told CJ.

"For life, homie!" CJ replied. "Grove for life!"

He walked away and headed to his house. It was now 9:01 PM, and CJ wanted to get his rest. So instead of walking upstairs into his mother's bedroom, he fell onto the sofa in the living room.


	24. Chapter 24: Management Issues

The next day, CJ was riding his bicycle around exploring his old hometown. He went to the stores, attended some clubs, and even decided to go on a date with Denise. He took her to the dance club and was able to satisfy her interest. He might have had his first girlfriend in his life.

Eventually, evening had fallen, and CJ decided to see what OG Loc was up to back in Burger Shot. So CJ rode his bicycle to Burger shot and entered the restaurant. He approached the counter to see the manager behind it.

"Hey, excuse me," he told the manager. "Loc around here?"

"Whuh?" the manager asked. "Who? You want fries with that?"

"Loc," CJ responded once again emphasizing his words. "Is he available for coh-myoo-nee-kay-shun?"

"Who?" the manager asked once again. "Loc?"

"Man…." CJ groaned.

"Oh," the manager replied finally getting who CJ was talking about. "You mean Jeffery! Yeah, our Appliance Technician called in sick so Jeff- LOC, he got promoted."

"So..." CJ replied.

"So, he's out back cleaning the fryer," the manager told him.

CJ walked away and snuck behind the backroom, where he spotted Loc with his elbows deep in the dirty fryer.

"Hey, what up, Loc?" CJ greeted.

OG Loc turned around to see CJ. "CJ," OG Loc cried out. "What's up, homie? Hey - my shit is so tight right now, it's about to bust!"

"So you happy now, homie?" CJ asked.

"Happy?" OG Loc asked suddenly sounding somber. "Man, hell, no. I can't take this shit much longer. Man, I'm an artiste! I'd rather be inside! Man, I can't get a deal for nothing. Motherfuckers always wanna keep a nigga down. And that Scipio, Madd Dogg's manager, is putting it on real heavy, man. He crampin' my style for real."

"Heavy?" CJ asked. "Man, he's five foot three."

"But that fool strong," OG Loc replied. "Man, we gotta take him out. He done blackballed me, man. I can't get in the game no way. I told you I'm an artist, a communicator and nobody can even hear my message. He's going around, telling everybody I'm whack."

_He ain't lying, _CJ thought. _Even Vanilla Ice has wittier lyrics than anything you wrote, that is if you even wrote that shit._

"Well, he obviously ain't heard your new shit," CJ told him. "That shit is outrageous."

"That's what I'm talking about, man," OG Loc said. "Down, with a frown, on the town, a sad clown." He then uttered an obnoxious, high-pitched chuckle.

"Alright, so what you want me to do?" CJ asked.

"I want you to take that motherfucker out," OG Loc told him silently.

CJ looked at him sideways to see if he had heard Loc correctly. "Kill him?" he asked.

"Well, I didn't mean date him," OG Loc said. "Listen, he's gonna be attending some awards ceremony, and that's the only time he leaves Dogg's side."

* * *

CJ just walked away shaking his head. Was OG Loc serious? Did CJ really wanted the manager of a famous rapper killed just because he didn't like OG Loc's rapping, which was undeniably terrible? As much as he wanted to help out his childhood ally, he had no intentions of murdering anyone who never had it coming. So he had to think of a way to make the death look like an accident instead.

As CJ contrived ways on how to make the murder of Madd Dogg's manager look like an accident, he hopped onto his bicycle and rode straight up to the direction to Madd Dogg's crib. As he got closer on Temple street, he heard his cellphone ring. CJ pulled it out to answer it.

"Ah, Loc," he answered. "What's up now, man?"

"One of Madd Dogg's chauffeurs just left the Burger shot across town," Loc told CJ over the phone. "Said he was headed over to the music awards."

"Good looking," CJ replied. "I'ma see if I could catch up to him."

But to CJ's surprise, he saw that the car, which appeared to be a black Elegant, was still in parking mode, and the driver wasn't even in the car yet. Luckily for CJ, the driver wasn't even looking at the car and was focusing on tying his shoes. So as CJ got closer, he hopped off of his bike, snuck to the car, and swiped the car out of the parking lot. The driver turned around to find the car getting away.

"Hey!" he shouted.

CJ didn't turn back. He rode as fast as he could while thinking of a way to make the death look like an accident. He had no intention of directly murdering anyone who did nothing to deserve it.

CJ continued driving through the city until he came across two similar Elegants that were parked straight on the side of the curb, with a wide gap between them. CJ carefully parallel parked between the two cars and the drivers each got into each of the vehicles.

"Hey, what kept you?" the lead driver asked through the radio. "Come on we need to go and pick up the boss!"

* * *

CJ followed the lead driver to drive straight down to the Cathay Theater, in which the award ceremony was taking place. There, Madd Dogg's manager, Alan Crawford, nicknamed Scipio, was being interviewed on the red carpet.

"Congratulations on your award," the interviewed told him. "You must be thrilled!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," Scipio replied. "I'd like to thank my fans, my momma and my dealer."

Meanwhile, the three Elegants continued driving straight. "Hold position in the middle of the motorcade until we get to the Awards Show," the leader announced. "Stick close and let's roll!"

They finally pulled over in front of the Cathay Theater. CJ saw Scipio walked over to the Elegant and hopped inside. "Hey man," he told CJ, not recognizing his real identity. "Take me back to Dogg's mansion."

"F'sho, Scipio," CJ told him.

He started to drive smoothly straight ahead. Suddenly, he started losing control, and the car was driving out of control.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Scipio cried.

I don't know!" CJ shouted. "I think somebody rigged this damn car or something!"

"Who the fuck would tamper with this vehicle?!" Scipio asked in a panicking voice.

"You think I'm some psychic or something?!" CJ shouted as he drove wildly down Verona Beach. "How would I know?!"

The car continued to spin out of control, and as CJ struggled to keep it onto the road, it was heading south down the street. It eventually got closer to the pier.

"I think some asshole put oil in the wheels!" CJ shouted.

"I should've know!" Scipio growled as the car continued spinning out of control. "It was that whack ass rapper Loc or whatever he's called! He did this!"

"I think he did!" CJ told him.

"He must've rigged this car or something!" Scipio snarled. "Or probably put oil in the tires!"

Then he stared outside to see that the car was spinning out of control right next to the pier.

"Ah shit!" Scipio cried out. "Yo Dawg! You have to keep this car on land! I can't swim!"

"I'm trying!" CJ cried out. "I'm trying!"

But unfortunately, it was too late. CJ tried to turn left, but his fingers slipped off of the steering wheel, and the Elegant fell off the side of the pier and flew right into the ocean.

"Holy FUUUUUUUUUUCK!" Scipio shouted as the vehicle finally fell into the deep end of the water.

* * *

CJ pretended to be drowning and watched as Scipio struggled to unstrap his seat belt off as the vehicle sank. With the vehicle sinking lower and lower, CJ finally swam back up the surface and took a breath as his head emerged out of the water.

The whole thing had been planned. CJ was really pretending to have the car go out of control because he wanted to make Scipio's death look like an accident instead of killing him directly. Still, he felt remorse for having to murder a famous rapper's manager.

CJ swam back to shore and stepped out of the water. His clothing was soaking wet. He felt water dripping through his eyes. He spat some of the water out. CJ felt cold in the cool, nocturnal air. He shivered as he crossed his arms. CJ was also getting tired. So he took the bus back home ready to take a shower and get in the bed.


	25. Chapter 25: Robbing Uncle Sam

CJ had taken a nice, hot shower as he finally made it back to his house last night. He could not believe he had OG Loc do all his dirty work for him just to kick-start his career as a rapper, something he was undeniably terrible at, especially murder someone just for being honest of his awful skills.

The next day, CJ stepped out of his house, fully dressed and now feeling rather active today. He looked around his neighborhood to see that. Not very many people were outside. He was wondering what his friends were up to. So he decided to check up on Ryder once again.

* * *

He first checked the backyard, where he saw the gangster resting on his lawn chair in the backyard, heavily dosing on his PCP. "It Was a Good Day" by Ice Cube was playing on the radio.

"Hey, Ryder!" CJ called at the stoned gangster. "This nigga's loaded... Ryder!"

CJ walked up to him and tapped him heavily. Ryder suddenly woke up from his stupor. "Yeeaahh, CJ…. " the gangster finally uttered. "Hey, CJ, tell me why I didn't finish high school."

"Because you been dealing drugs, man, since the age of ten!" CJ laughed

"No, that ain't it," Ryder replied.

"Because you went and put hands on that teacher for wearing Ballas colors!" CJ answered chuckling.

Ryder laughed as he gave CJ a high five. "But no, that ain't it either," Ryder said climbing onto his feet. "It's 'cause I'm too intelligent for this shit, man. I am the real deal, fool. Oh jeah. A genius."

CJ just laughed. "Oh, oh yeah..." CJ joked.

"Who has more straps than anybody?" Ryder asked. He took a few steps back and finally darted to CJ's face. "Who has all the straps, huh?" Ryder asked.

CJ then stretched his arms and rested them behind his head. "A man with a lot of guns?" he asked. "Shit, I give up."

"The army, my nigga," Ryder answered. "The army! Let's go."

"Yeah... Yeah!" CJ said as Ryder rested an arm around his shoulder as the two walked away. Ryder tried to offer CJ his joint.

"Go hit the wet, nigga," Ryder told CJ.

"Get that outta my face, man," CJ protested pushing Ryder's hand away.

"Go hit the wet!" Ryder demanded.

"You know I don't fuck with that, man," CJ said. "C'mon!"

He pushed Ryder away. "Busta!" Ryder muttered.

* * *

The two walked out to the street to find a van parked in front of Ryder's house. They hopped inside, with CJ taking the wheel.

"You think you can roll this van without killing us both?" Ryder asked as CJ started driving.

"Hey, Ryder, where we going?" CJ asked.

"Ocean Docks," Ryder answered.

"How we get this van?" CJ asked. "It wasn't outside when I came through."

"My homie LB, he's like a clockwork ninja!" Ryder told him. "Real dependable. Unlike some of you motherfuckers..."

"Give it a rest, man!" CJ told him driving through Willowfield. "I lost my little brother, and now I lost my Moms."

"Don't matter how much shit this city throws at you," Ryder replied. "CJ, you gotta stick by your homies!"

"Yeah, I guess..." CJ said.

_Seriously, who the hell is this LB dude? _CJ thought.

A lot of Ryder's ideas were just crazy. First, he considered breaking into a war veteran's home, then he contemplated robbing a train, and now the ocean docks.

_This nigga's crazy, _CJ thought. _Seriously, is this motherfucker even human? Has this motherfucker really lost it?_

* * *

CJ finally drove through the bridge and came across a warehouse at the docks. He saw that it was heavily guarded by guards wearing camouflage and armed with assault rifles. CJ felt his heartbeat skipping.

"This is the spot - National Guard Depot," Ryder announced.

"Man, this shit look real serious," CJ told him. "Are we up for this?"

"It's National Guard, fool!" Ryder said. "Weekend soldiers! Ain't no match for Grove Street OGs!"

CJ just stared at Ryder. He could not believe he was about to take on an army of guards.

_Man, this nigga done lost his damn mind! _CJ thought.

Since Ryder was too stoned to think clearly, it was up to CJ to figure out a way to get past the guards. So he hopped out of the vehicle and ran to the front entrance. CJ decided to climb the wall and jump out.

He remembered his stealth sneak when creeping through Madd Dogg's mansion in search of his rhyme book and decided to use the technique with the soldiers. CJ crept behind the guard and stealthily stabbed him in the neck, killing him silently.

CJ then hopped behind some crates and killed another soldier from across the walkway. CJ then ran to the storage garage and saw that there were more guards inside there. So CJ took cover and shot at the guards, killing them one by one.

CJ saw the six boxes right against the wall at the end. They were definitely weapons stored inside them, and there was a forklift parked right next to them. So CJ used the forklift to lift a row of two boxes and carefully rode the forklift to the opening of the storage garage.

CJ then hopped out of the forklift and ran to the gate. He shot down the control panels to activate the gates, thus opening the front entrance.

"Nice job, CJ!" Ryder congratulated taking the wheel of the truck and driving it inside the warehouse. "Thought that was a suicide mission for sure!"

He drove the truck inside and made a sharp turn to have the back of the truck facing the storage garage. He backed the truck closer to the storage garage and put the vehicle on park as he hopped out

"Now open the warehouse and keep these motherfuckers busy!" Ryder demanded.

"Already taken care of, homie!" CJ told him.

"Good!" Ryder said. "I'll watch our backs while you use the forklift to collect the crates. OK, homie, let's load this shit up!"

CJ hopped back onto the forklift carrying the two crates and lifted them inside the truck. He lowered them a bit to set them onto the back truck's surface.

CJ drove the forklift back inside the storage and used it to lift the two row of crates off the ground. CJ slowly turned the forklift around and accelerated to the van, with Ryder standing looking around. CJ then lowered the boxes inside the back of the truck. Those were the last two boxes inside the storage.

"They got more crates outside, CJ!" Ryder told him.

Suddenly, there were a trio of guards shooting at Ryder. "Shit, CJ!" Ryder called. "SHIT!"

CJ looked ahead to watch his friend shooting at the trio of soldiers attacking him. Ryder paced around and shot at them back. CJ quickly hopped out of the forklift and helped his friend out. They both shot at the guards and killed each of them one by one.

"Nice one, homie!" Ryder told him. "Now get the rest of those crates!"

So CJ hopped back onto the forklift and used it to ride towards a few crates outside and lift a row of two of them off the ground very slowly. He turned the forklift around and headed to the truck, where he stored the crates inside the back of the truck.

He repeated the process with two more rows of two crates, and just when he picked up the last two, he saw that more guards were coming up. So CJ quickly rode the forklift to the back of the truck, stored them inside, and hopped out of the forklift.

* * *

"C'mon, CJ, we got enough!" Ryder shouted as he hopped into the back of the truck. "CJ, get up front and drive us outta here."

CJ then hopped into the driver's seat of the truck and drove as quickly as he could.

"LB's got us a spot in Willowfield - hit the gas!" Ryder demanded. Then, he saw that the guards were chasing the two in a Patriot. "Damn, man, these idiots just don't give up!" Ryder groaned furiously.

"What's happening back there?" CJ asked driving.

"These part time soldiers got a chip on their shoulders!" Ryder announced.

"Nice rhymes, man!" CJ replied.

"Just shake 'em off!" Ryder told him. "We gotta lose those soldiers!"

So CJ drove as fast as he could around WIllowfield. He made many sharp turns and continued riding until he finally lost the Patriots. He let out a sigh of relief. He and Ryder had survived being cut to pieces by the National Guards at the ocean docks. But CJ still needed a word with Ryder about his PCP addiction.

"I ain't rolling with you no more, man, 'til you off that water, homie," CJ reminded Ryder. "It mess with your mind."

"Whatever you say, fool," Ryder replied. "You don't know what's going on."

"And what that mean?" CJ asked.

"I ain't listening to no more of your bullshit," Ryder responded. "We got the guns. You ain't no gangster, homie. You want it smooth? You don't want no trouble. I keep it real."

"You wouldn't know real if it came and hit you in your cheeks, homie," CJ shot back, "which it could do, if it gave you a hit first."

"I ain't listening to you, Carl," Ryder told him.

* * *

CJ drove through Willowfield and finally made it through the alleyway to Emmet's lockup, where Emmet and the rest of the Grove Street members appeared.

"Well what's happening to you youngsters?!" Emmet greeted CJ and Ryder.

"Yo we got the stash inside this here truck," Ryder told Emmet. "Soon, you won't need them antiques for yo' shop."

"Well thanks for the help, boys," Emmet thanked CJ and Ryder. "It's always nice to have a little help from you young-ins these days."

CJ and Ryder stared at each other and decided to part their ways for a while.

"That shit was tight," Ryder declared as the rest of the Grove Street members walked up to him to join in.

"Tight?" CJ asked. "Man, that shit was shit."

"Man, you say you're down for the homies, but all you do is complain," Ryder told him, and he went along with the other Grove Street members.

CJ watched as they all walk away casually. As much as he had love for Ryder, he disliked how his PCP addiction impaired his way of thinking. The water was really causing him to act too crazy, and CJ had tolerated it for so long. It was time for CJ to tell his friend what he was getting himself into for smoking the wet.

_Lord, I wish my homie here would quit the water once and for all, _he thought. _I would hate to see that asshole get himself killed for doing that crazy shit, especially since he still has a living family member he don't even speak to._


	26. Chapter 26: Just Business

CJ arrived at Big Smoke's house to find his vehicle parked inside the garage, Biz Markie's "Vapors" playing in the background. So CJ headed to the side door and knocked on it.

"Hey, CJ, baby, whassup man?" Big Smoke hopped out from behind the vehicle in the garage and called out.

"What's happening, Smoke?" CJ greeted.

"Chillin'," Big Smoke responded. "Wanna go for a ride?"

"Yeah," CJ answered.

"You drive," Big Smoke told him.

"Alright," CJ said as he hopped into the driver's seat.

"We're going downtown," Big Smoke told him as he entered the passenger's seat.

* * *

CJ started the vehicle's engine and turned to the right. He drove straight down and made another right.

"This bet not be another cop errand, man," CJ told Big Smoke, reminding him of Tenpenny and Pulaski's frequent visits.

"Nah, man," Big Smoke protested as CJ drove through Commerce. "This is strictly for the homies. I gotta be honest with you, CJ. We could be getting' into some heavy shit, baby."

"What you into, Smoke?" CJ asked sounding suspicious.

"Lot of shit 'bout to go down, Carl," Big Smoke responded. "Families coming back, Ballas pushing base, Russian cats with nothin' to lose about to bust some ass."

"Russians?" CJ asked.

"Now," Big Smoke started to explain, "all my life, I been told to fear Ruskies, but I ain't never even met one. Then, the wall comes down and we're all supposed to be friends. Five minutes later, my cousin gets laid out by some Ruskie fresh off the boat.

"For real?" CJ asked.

"For real!" Big Smoke answered as CJ finally pulled up in front of the Atrium.

The two hopped out of the car and walked over to the Atrium and suddenly stopped midway in front of the entrance.

"Look Carl," Big Smoke told CJ, "before I walk in there, I just need to know you down with this shit, man."

"Look, Smoke," CJ replied, "we go way back. We Groves, man!"

"That's what I'm talking about," Big Smoke said giving CJ a high five. "That's my dog! Hey look, if you hear shit start to pop off, come in there blasting, a'ight?"

"I'm down, dog," CJ said as Big Smoke headed for the exit.

He then turned to the left to see a beautiful young woman wearing a white dress sitting at the table outside. "Hey, baby," CJ told her. "Want company?"

"Motherfuckers!" he suddenly heard Big Smoke shout out form inside the building.

* * *

CJ didn't have time to talk to the woman. He rushed into the building to meet up with Big Smoke. He saw that the Russians had ambushed the buildings, and Big Smoke was crouching behind the pillars. CJ crouched beside him.

"CJ, get in here - oh there you are!" Big Smoke said as he turned just in time to see CJ. "Use some cover, they're blasting like fools in this motherfucker! Ice those fools, CJ!"

"Big Smoke, you made big mistake!" one of the Russians shouted out.

CJ just pulled out his machine gun and fired at each of the Russian gangsters. He killed each and every one of them one by one.

"Watch yourself, CJ, I think they're pissed!" Big Smoke warned vociferously. "CJ, take the right and cover my ass! Keep it up baby! That's my dog, makin' y'all pay!"

After CJ and Big Smoke killed all the Russians inside, CJ picked up the cash off the ground and followed Big Smoke to the exit.

"Stick with me CJ, we outta here, baby!" Big Smoke called.

Back outside, they saw more Russian gangs shooting at them

"Stick real close Carl!" Big Smoke told CJ as he and CJ pulled out their machine guns and shot at the Russians. "Keep your head down, that air's as thick as shit in here!"

"Smoke," one of the Russians shouted, "you and your friend are dead men!"

"Motherfuckers!" Big Smoke shouted as he and CJ continued shooting at the Russians. "Back me up! That's my homie, CJ! Ha ha ha ha, homie, you ice cold, baby!"

After they killed all of their attackers, Big Smoke and CJ took a motorbike on their way out.

* * *

"Time to return the favor baby, get on!" Big Smoke said as he hopped onto the motorbike, with CJ jumping behind.

Big Smoke started riding down the spiral of the parking lot and made the way onto the road, with "Running Away" by Roy Ayers playing on the radio. Unfortunately, the Russians were still after them on motorbikes themselves.

"They after us on a bike, Smoke!" CJ reminded him.

"Waste any motherfucker that follows us!" Big Smoke told CJ.

So as Big Smoke continued riding, CJ shot at the Russians on both bikes. Unfortunately, he also saw that the Packer was chasing him and Big Smoke as well.

"Shit man, they comin' fo' us in a truck!" CJ told Big Smoke.

"Don't tell me about it," Big Smoke told him taking a right turn through Downtown Los Santos. "Take it off the road, pop it! Damn! Look at all this traffic - GET OUTTA THE WAY! I'm comin' through!"

"We got bikes on our six - smash it Smoke!" CJ warned as Big Smoke made a left turn on the road.

"Hold on tight, baby!" Big Smoke shouted as he picked up his speed.

"Aww Smoke, NOOOOOOO!" CJ bellowed as Big Smoke took the ramp and jumped onto two buses.

CJ just continued shooting at the bikes as Big Smoke rode off the end of the front of the parked bus. Just then, the Packer that was chasing them ran into an oncoming bus from the intersection.

"Ah, they hit a bus!" CJ shouted.

Big Smoke chuckled hard. "I'll never diss public transportation again!" Big Smoke cheered.

Just then, the two came to a road block on the intersection of Market. "Damn, road-blocked!" Big Smoke shouted in annoyance.

"Ah Smoke, these cats is organized," CJ told him as he shot at the Russians who were firing at the two. "It's something you ain't tellin' me man!"

"Look Carl," Big Smoke explained, "all I know is that they're real pissed with us right now! Hold on though, I got an idea."

"Smoke, what you thinkin'?" CJ asked. "Flood control's a dead end, man!"

"To hell with that," Big Smoke replied as he drove down the sewage area. "We have to lose those cars, don't worry about that. I know a way out, up past Grove Street."

"The old sewer tunnel?" CJ asked. "Oh man..."

"Watch our backs!" Big Smoke told him as he raced through the sewage area.

Just then, more Russians arrived on bikes. "Smoke, it's more bikes!" CJ told him as he shot back at the Russians.

Then, as Big Smoke dashed out from under the bridge, CJ saw that the Packer has also returned as it drove off a bridge and into the canal, rejoining the chase.

"Oh shit, now the truck's found us again," CJ complained.

"Man, stop being so negative!" Big Smoke told him still continuing to ride as CJ shot at the bikes chasing him and Smoke. "Focus on the good news!"

"Such as….?" CJ asked.

"We ain't dead, and your trigger finger still works, fool!" Big Smoke told him. "I think the gearbox is screwed up on this thing! I can't get no speed!"

"Yeah, who negative now bitch?" CJ shot back.

"Point taken!" Big Smoke acknowledged. "I'll keep my mouth shut from now on. Watch our backs!"

Just then, Russians in cars started chasing after them, and CJ shot at them as well.

"OH SHIT!" Big Smoke shouted as a car suddenly dropped off the Packer, hitting a Russian car and causing it to explode.

"Oh man, the cars found a ramp!" CJ said as more Russians on bikes came back from a ramp leading to the sewage.

"Don't tell me about it, SHOOT!" Big Smoke ordered.

CJ complied and shot at the Russians on the bikes and the cars. Another car fell off the Packer in front of them.

"Hold on!" Big Smoke cried picking up his speed.

"Get us up that ramp, Smoke!" CJ demanded pointing at the ramp on the right.

"I'm on it baby!" Big Smoke announced as he retained his speed to get onto the ramp.

CJ looked down to see the Russians on bikes and Packer riding in front of them down below.

"We still got bikes on us, man!" CJ said as he turned around to see the Russians on a bike right behind him and Big Smoke.

"Man, quit bitchin' and shoot as many of them assholes as you can!" Big Smoke told him as CJ shot back at the Russians. "Fools totaled their truck!"

CJ looked ahead to find that the Packer was parked right in front of them up ahead with the Russians shooting at them. "Go around 'em, man!" he told Big Smoke.

"Screw that, we're taking the scenic route!" Big Smoke shouted as he sped closer

He used the Packer to jump over a roadblock, causing all the roadblock cars to explode. Big Smoke barely hopped the explosion and continued dashing through the sewage.

"FRY MOTHERFUCKERS!" Big Smoke bellowed confidently. He saw the sewers straight down their direction. "That's the old sewer up ahead!" Big Smoke announced. "Shoot out the gate!"

So CJ complied and used his weapon to shoot out the gate, giving him and Big Smoke access inside the sewer.

"Nice one, CJ, here we go!" Big Smoke said speeding inside the sewer.

"Man, I used to hate this tunnel when we was kids," CJ said to himself.

"Hey, we can reminisce later, we still got company!" Big Smoke reminded him as CJ looked to see the Russians still chasing the two on bikes.

"Don't these guys ever give up?" CJ asked shooting at the Russians.

After a long chase, Big Smoke finally exited the sewers and ran down to East Los Santos, where none of the Russians caught up to them again.

* * *

"We lost 'em, Smoke!" CJ told him as Big Smoke parked at the parking lot. "Man, we better split up."

"I'll take it another block and dump it," Big Smoke said as CJ hopped off the bike. "Man, that was some crazy shit back there!"

"Yeah, for sure," CJ agreed. "Listen, we can't hang around here - I'll see you later, homie."

"Much love, baby," Big Smoke replied, and he rode away.

CJ felt that he had a long day. So he decided to return to his street in Ganton and took a long walk.


	27. Chapter 27: Leaving the Nest

CJ made it back to his street and ran to the front doorstep of Sweet's house. He knocked on the front door.

"Sweet!" CJ called.

No answer.

CJ then found out that the door was opened and walked inside. He heard "Sensitivity" by Ralph Tresvant playing in the living room.

"Sweet?" CJ called walking down the hallway. "Sweet, you in here?"

CJ entered the living room to find Kendl sitting next to Cesar, her head resting on his right shoulder. The two took notice of CJ as they saw him walking inside.

"Hey, Carl," Kendl said waving.

"Hey, sis," CJ greeted. He then turn to Cesar. "Cesar, que pasa?"

"CJ," Cesar said back. "¡Qué sorpresa!"

"What's crackin' with you, Ceez?" CJ told him.

"Just getting my game on, holmes," Cesar chuckled.

CJ started to laugh. "I see you got all the game," CJ said. "So, uhh, how you and my sister doing?"

"Just fine, CJ," Kendl told him, "So, you seeing anyone particular?"

"Well…." CJ started to say, "…. I haven't got a chance to find anyone I like. I ain't found the right girl."

"You ain't never gonna find the right one, 'cause you treat them all like shit," Kendl sneered.

"Easy, angel," Cesar told her. "Men don't find love, love finds man, eh carnal?"

Kendl giggled. "Yeah, I guess it does…." she agreed. Then she turned to CJ. "Okay, listen, Carl," she told him, "now that Moms is gone, I'm gonna have to be the woman here."

"You ain't thinking about taking over Moms' position as parent, are you, sis?" CJ asked.

"Don't be crazy, Carl," Kendl replied. "I would never try to usurp my own mother as the new Johnson parent. She treated us all well and taught us better. I meant that I'm gonna be putting in work since I'm now a grown woman."

"You think you perfectly fine on your own now?" CJ asked.

"I'm 20 years old, Carl," Kendl told him. "I'll be 21 next year in February. I think I know how to take care of my damn self."

"That's cool, sis," CJ told his sister, "but how Sweet gonna feel about this once he finds out?"

"He just gonna have to get used to it," Kendl replied. "I ain't afraid to let my own brother know."

"Yo, where is Sweet anyway?" CJ asked.

"He probably hanging out at the club with Smoke and Ryder," Kendl responded. "Either that or those three assholes are capping their rivalry gang."

"Chica," Cesar told her. "Do you know who you're dating?"

"Oh, my bad, Ceez," Kendl told him. "No offense."

"Niguana toma, baby," Cesar told her.

"So Carl," Kendl said handing CJ a stack of papers with her signature on them. "These are the papers I've signed to show that I'm a legal resident at Cesar's place."

"You living with Cesar now?" CJ asked.

"Um-hmm," Kendl responded. "I want you to take these papers to the landlord to confirm this. The landlord is in the inn over at El Corona. Give it to him and let him know I'm now living over at El Corona."

"Sure," CJ told her sounding a bit skeptical. He turned to head out the door.

"And don't lose those papers, Carl!" Kendl called. "They're very important!"

CJ was never the one to tell his little sister what to do. After all, she was a grown woman now and old enough to make her own decisions. But how would Sweet react once he found this out? To Sweet, Kendl was still his baby sister, and after what happened to Brian five years ago, only God would know what he would do once he learned that Kendl was now moving out of Sweet's house and with Cesar.

* * *

CJ didn't say a word. He just hopped onto his bicycle and rode down the street. He had to hold on to the paperwork Kendl gave him to confirm her residence in Cesar's house to the landlord.

As soon as he finally made it to the inn at El Corona, CJ hopped off his bike and walked up to the front entrance.

"Well look what we got over here," he heard a voice from behind him say.

CJ turned to see the Vagos standing right behind him. "Ah shit!" CJ cried.

"Eh, what gives you the temerity to step into our turf, ese?" one of the Vagos asked CJ. "You think we're a fucking joke to you, puto?"

He ran away as the Vagos shot at him and took cover behind some cars in the parking lot. As the Vagos shot at CJ, he crept from behind the vehicles and shot at them back.

He killed the Vagos members and turned behind him to spot more Vagos gang members scattering around the streets like a proliferation of stubborn cockroaches around a dirty apartment. CJ made a run for it and used the wall of the bridge as cover. He shot back at the Vagos members one by one and watched as they all dropped dead on the ground.

After a few more wave of Vagos gang members came out shooting at CJ and the latter taking cover from every shot fired at him, CJ quickly killed each Vagos member one by one and was now free to get into the inn.

* * *

As he stepped inside, he walked up to a Latino man behind the counter. "What can I do for you, sir?" the man asked CJ.

CJ handed the man the papers. "This is for Kendl Johnson," he told the man. "You must be the landlord."

"What's it to ya?" the landlord told him. He examined the papers for thirty seconds and then turned to CJ.

"Okay," he said finally. "You tell Kendl that she's a new resident here in El Corona."

"Cool," CJ said.

He walked out of the inn and punched in Kendl's number. "Hey, sis," CJ said over the phone. "I got those papers in to the landlord. You're an official resident here in El Corona."

"Thanks, Carl," Kendl said. "I'm officially out of this house for good. And Carl, don't worry about Sweet. He's just gonna find out himself, and if he don't like it, that's his problem."

"Okay, Kendl," CJ replied. "You be careful out here, girl. You'll never know what these other eses might get you into."

CJ hung up the phone and thought for a second. Kendl had now officially left the Johnson resident to live with Cesar Vialpando. He wasn't sadden by this in the slightest, because he knew that Kendl was now a young adult and living a new life with a future husband. Cesar seemed like a nice guy who truly loved Kendl with all his heart, and he felt that he and Cesar would make good friends.

_I think me and Cesar are gonna have a cool relationship with each other, _CJ thought with a grin.


	28. Chapter 28: Food For Thought

After two hours, CJ decided that it was time to visit Cesar's place to see how comfortable Kendl was feeling there. So he rode his bike through Downtown Los Santos and made his way through El Corona, where he saw the other Aztecas hanging around in their neighborhood, some of them in lowriders while others were hanging in front of their houses.

CJ finally made it to Cesar's house and hopped off his bike. He ran to the front porch and knocked on the door.

"Come in, holmes!" he heard Cesar yell through the house.

CJ walked into the house to find Cesar and Kendl sitting next to each other on the couch. He looked around to find that it was a nice, clean living room. The carpet was immaculate, and the walls were replete with several picture frames.

"Hola, Carl," Cesar greeted.

"Cheers to you, Cesar," CJ greeted back.

"Thanks for the help, Carl," Kendl told him.

"No problem, sis," CJ told her. "If you want to stay with your new boyfriend, I'm cool with that. You grown now, Kendl. You can stay with whoever you want – just as long as you be careful out here."

"I'm glad one of you guys are happy for my decision," Kendl told him.

"Seriously, Kendl," CJ told his sister sounding slightly concerned. "Are you ever gonna tell Sweet about this?"

"Let him find out on his own," Kendl replied. "He never let me know about his business with Smoke and Ryder during their gang activities. So why I gotta be the one to let him know about me living with my fiancé?"

"You got a point," CJ said. "I'm just letting you know; you know how overprotective Sweet be, especially after what just happened to Moms last week."

"I know, Carl," Kendl responded. "I love my big bro to death, but I just wish he would stop worrying so damn much and let me do what the fuck I choose. Besides, he and the rest of his homies go out performing drive-bys on other gangs. He ain't one to talk shit."

"I can understand where he's coming from though," Cesar replied. "I have two brothers myself. I'm the middle one of three children, and they usually do a lot of dumb shit to get themselves nearly killed. So I don't blame your brother for looking out for you."

"That's different, Ceez," Kendl protested. "You know I don't do any of the dumb shit both your brothers be doing."

"I know, baby," Cesar told her planting a fat kiss onto Kendl's lips. "You're not like any of the whores that be over my hermano's casa. Most importantly, at least you're not actually related to a psychopath"

Kendl giggled. "You got a point there," she admitted. Then she turned to CJ. "Okay, Carl," she started to say, "I'm thinking about applying for food stamps. SanFirm to be exact. Since I'm now grown living with my fiancée here, it's time for me to get my own food stamps."

"Okay," CJ said. "So what you want to do?"

"I want you to take me to the GNAP office over at Market so I can turn this in at the office," Kendl told CJ handing her some signed papers. "I'll need to show them my ID and social security number so I can verify my identity to afford it."

"Okay, sis," CJ told her guiding her to the door. "Yo, we'll be back, Cesar."

"No hay problema, hombre," Cesar replied as he watched Kendl hop out of her seat and walk with CJ to exit the front door. "Take care, holmes. I'll let you use my Savanna. The keys are on the table right there."

Cesar pointed to the keys sitting onto the table that was standing on the left side of the small table.

"Thanks, Cesar," CJ said grabbing the keys from the table.

* * *

He and Kendl walked out of the door and to Cesar's red Savanna. CJ hopped inside the driver's seat and Kendl took the passenger's seat.

"What you need food stamps for, girl?" CJ asked as he started the engine and pulled up into the road.

"What DON'T I need food stamps for?" Kendl told him. "For food. What else?"

"You got me there," CJ chuckled. "Just use them wisely. Moms hated prodigal spending."

"I know how to spend my money," Kendl said. "I know what food I want to buy."

"Okay, sis," CJ said as he drove through Verdant Bluffs. "I ain't gonna tell you what to do."

CJ knew Kendl was not only grown, but smart enough to make the right decisions. So it was pointless for him to remind her of things she was already prepared for. She was definitely growing up fast.

CJ finally made it to the GNAP building on Market and parked up front.

"Now wait right here," Kendl told CJ as she hopped out of the car. "I'm just going to collect my food stamps and walk out."

CJ watched as Kendl walked into the building. It was a nice touch for CJ to see his younger sister grow up. Since Sweet was already busy worrying about his own gang, CJ thought that he wouldn't be so protective of her since CJ had this handled himself.

* * *

After waiting in the car for almost thirty minutes, Kendl finally exited out of the building and returned to the car.

"Grocery store next, sis?" CJ asked.

"Read my mind, Carl," Kendl replied. "Pik N' Go Market."

So CJ drove away and through Downtown Los Santos.

"So what's up with you, Sweet, and the other guys?" Kendl asked.

"Well," CJ started to explain, "we still trying to get our families back together. Sweet's still serious about trying to get our hood back."

"I see," Kendl said. "Honestly, all three of them are crazy. Sweet's a stubborn, hypocritical bastard who's too damn provincial to see the bigger picture, Big Smoke's a greedy pig whose only motto is eat and eat more, and Ryder's just a stoned asshole. I've been getting in touch with his sister though, and she's definitely doing much better over at Pineland."

"Really?" CJ asked. "That's great to hear. Nice to know you two are still talking to each other."

"Yeah," Kendl told him. "She's like a sister that I wish I had instead. I'm planning on meeting her there."

"Yeah," CJ said as he felt his heart thumping a bit.

* * *

He continued driving until he finally made it to East Los Santos, where he saw Pik N' Go Market up ahead. CJ parked in front of the store and watched as Kendl hopped out.

"You coming, Carl?" Kendl asked.

CJ reluctantly hopped out of the car and followed Kendl inside the supermarket.

"So how much food stamps you get?" CJ asked.

"$210 worth of food stamps," Kendl replied getting a shopping cart. "I got everything on the list.

Kendl showed CJ the list: milk, bread, cheese, beef, chicken, bananas, bell pepper, oatmeal, cereal, peanut butter, cilantro, flour, eggs, bacon, apples, blueberries, carrots, black eye peas, and spinach.

"Okay," CJ said. "Cool. Now we just need to grab everything and be up outta here."

CJ and Kendl started shopping and navigated through the aisles to pick up the food on the list and store them all on the shopping cart.

After a few minutes of shopping, CJ and Kendl took all the food to the front counter to pay for everything, and Kendl paid $59.02 in food stamps.

* * *

"Damn, sis," CJ said as he and Kendl packed the food in the bags and stored them in the shopping cart. "You sure know how to spend food stamps."

"I told you, Carl," Kendl sneered as the two took the cart outside to the vehicle. "I always check the prices before I purchase something."

They popped the trunk of the Savanna and stored the groceries into the trunk. CJ closed the trunk and he and Kendl hopped back inside the Savanna.

"Back to Cesar's, please," Kendl told CJ.

But before CJ even had a chance to start the engine, he looked in his rear-view mirror to find a familiar brown Hermes trailing from behind. CJ rapidly turned his head to see that the Vagos were after him in the vehicle.

"Oh shit!" CJ shouted as he quickly started the engine.

"What is it, Carl?!" Kendl asked.

"I gotta get to Cesar's fast!" CJ shouted stepping on the gas pedal. "Them Vagos are in deep!"

Kendl then turned her head to see the Vagos' vehicle chasing them. "Fuck!" she shouted. "Hurry up and get back to El Corona, Carl! We can't let them fuck up the groceries!"

CJ sped away in the street, with the Vagos chasing after him shooting at him and Kendl. CJ had to get back to Cesar's quickly, or else the groceries in the trunk would be ruined, and Kendl would have to somehow return to spend more food stamps on the food that was listed to supplant the ones destroyed thanks to the Vagos.

"¡Estás jodido!" one of the Vagos shouted as he continued shooting at CJ and Kendl.

CJ payed him no mind as he continued driving away. As if it wasn't bad enough he had to deal with the Ballas, the Vagos couldn't give him a break, and Kendl just had to be involved in the gratuitous chase.

"Hurry, Carl!" Kendl shouted. "We can't let those assholes destroy all the groceries! Because I ain't going back to the store to buy more!"

So tired of dealing with the predicament, CJ performed a drive-by on the Vagos as he made a left turn and raced straight down the bridge. He then made another left turn on Ganton and a right on Willowfield, with the Vagos trailing behind still shooting at him.

By the time CJ made a right turn and finally made it through El Corona, the Vagos were closing in, and CJ decided to preform another drive-by on them. He shot at their vehicle until it caught on fire, and CJ sped away from the vehicle as it exploded behind him.

Kendl sighed in relief. "Thank goodness," she said as CJ finally made it to Cesar's house. "I hope the groceries aren't fucked up!"

* * *

CJ parked the Savanna in Cesar's driveway and hopped out of the car. As Kendl got out as well, she and CJ opened the trunk and discerned the food inside the bags carefully. Nothing was smashed, crushed, or broken, not even the eggs.

Kendl let out another sigh of relief. "Thanks goodness none of the food is broken apart."

She and CJ grabbed a coupled of grocery bags and walked into Cesar's house, where the latter was standing right by the door.

"Rough afternoon at the grocery store?" Cesar surmised.

"You have no idea!" CJ told him setting the bags on the table of the dining room.

"We ran into some Eastside Vagos during our trip!" Kendl added. "Real lucky they didn't ruin the groceries!"

"Damn," Cesar uttered stepping outside with CJ and Kendl. "I tell you, those Vagos are jodidamente loco! Believe me, I know. My gang is beefing with those gilipollas!"

"Yeah," CJ replied. "My gang don't get along with them either. Let me help you with the rest of them groceries."

"Hey, CJ," Cesar told him. "You can go on for now. You helped enough, eh. Kendl and I got this."

"Okay they," CJ said as he started leaving. "Later, Ceez."

"Chao," Cesar said.

CJ walked away and decided to get something to eat himself.


	29. Chapter 29: Doped Out

CJ went to Well-Stacked Pizza and got some lunch from there. As he sat and enjoyed his lunch, he wondered what he was going to do to earn the respect back from his gang, especially from Sweet and Ryder, both of whom were still steamed at him for running off on them. He decided that he should try a second time to reason with B-Dup and get him on his side, as well as getting Big Bear back in rehab for his crack addition.

So after CJ exited the restaurant, he hopped onto his bike and rode through Idlewood and to Ganton. As he stopped by B-Dup's apartment buildings, he saw that the Grove Street Families members were armed with much more high-quality weapons.

_I guess Shermhead's crazy ass ideas actually proved to be worth it after all, _CJ thought. _Sometimes, I really do think he's a genius._

CJ entered the apartment and knocked on B-Dup's door. Sure B-Dup had refused to do business with Grove Street earlier, but CJ felt that he had enough confidence to talk him out of making a quick buck and rejoin the Grove Street Families.

"Who is it?" B-Dup yelled from the inside.

CJ then saw the door open and a disgruntled B-Dup staring at him.

"Didn't I tell you to beat it, motherfucker?" B-Dup snarled at CJ right before attempted to slam the door in his face. But CJ held it back with all his might.

"C'mon, man," CJ told him. "We getting Grove back on its feet now! Why you can't believe in us?"

"There ain't jack shit to believe, nigga!" B-Dup snapped. "Nobody's making any money these days."

"But we're getting the Grove back on top, homie," CJ protested. "Look, B-Dup. At least give it a second thought."

B-Dup thought about what CJ said, and after several seconds, he finally made up his mind.

"You know what, CJ?" B-Dup told him letting him in his apartment. "I'll tell you what. You run some errands for me and maybe – remember, key word here is "maybe" – I could reconsider this drug dealing business."

CJ looked at Big Bear behind him and saw that the former was still scrubbing the floor with a toothbrush. Big Bear didn't say a word, but CJ knew that the look on his face was screaming "Help me!". He wasn't sure if he could do any of B-Dup's tasks, but with Grove slowly getting back on its toes, he finally made up his mind.

"Okay," CJ agreed. "So what you want me to do?"

"Perfect timing, Dawg!" B-Dup told him grinning malevolently. His grin then faded. "Now listen, there's this asshole who's sending his thugs to sell drugs around MY turf! Who the fuck that nigga think he is?! The motherfucking drug lord?! Not while I'm around!"

During his conversation, B-Dup violently kicked a bucket out of his way and stormed to the cabinet against the wall. He pulled out a shotgun and handed it to CJ.

"So take this, kill every crack dealer around this neighborhood, and blow that nigga's head off!" B-Dup demanded. "And afterwards, steal back every cent of that cash he made from them drug deals. You shouldn't miss him. He the only one rocking the Panic baseball cap."

* * *

CJ didn't say a word. He did exactly what B-Dup ordered him to do and walked out of the apartment. He walked outside to find that there was a proliferation of crack dealers around the hood.

"Sell on this turf, will ya?!" CJ shouted.

So one by one, he ran up to each crack dealer and aimed for their heads. He blasted each of them with the shotgun and came across one of the drug dealers that B-Dup mentioned. There he was, rocking the LS Panic baseball cap while wearing a yellow hoodie and baggy brown cargo pants.

"Hey, motherfucker!" CJ shouted. "Who you think you are selling drugs on this turf?!"

The dealer took notice and stared back at CJ in shock. "Ah shit!" the dealer cried out.

He looked around thinking about a way to escape as CJ got closer. Soon, the drug dealer took off running away and CJ dashed after him. The chase resumed across the railroad tracks and at the parking lot of the motel just across.

CJ watched as the dealer hopped inside a parked Perennial and began to drive away. CJ saw a nearby Greenwood parked there as well and hopped in that vehicle as well. He started the engine and drove away to find the dealer driving straight down through Idlewood.

As the chase resumed through Downtown Los Santos, CJ finally got close enough to the dealer and shifted to the right side of the moving vehicle, performing a drive-by shooting. The dealer pulled away quickly and continued driving away.

"Hey, man!" he pleaded. "We can work this out, homie! I'll give you all my dough! Anything you want!"

He then made a sharp right turn on Market and continued speeding away. CJ continued chasing after him and got closer as the two vehicles continued driving in a straight line. CJ caught up with the dealer once again and performed another drive-by on him. When the Perennial finally caught fire, the dealer finally hopped out and attempted to run away. But not before CJ finally gunned him down via drive-by and hopped out of the car.

He walked over to the dealer's corpse and grabbed the money he collected from the drug dealing. Soon, he heard police sirens, which prompted CJ to hop back inside his vehicle and speed away.

The police cars were trailing right behind him, and CJ continued driving down the road through Downtown Los Santos. He drove through Idlewood and finally made it inside the Paint 'n' Spray up ahead, changing the color of his vehicle.

CJ had now lost the cops and drove back onto the road safely. He knew most of B-Dup's future errands would be rather perilous and intense. But CJ was prepared for them, especially if it meant recruiting B-Dup back to the Grove Street Families again and get Big Bear to rehab after the crack had impaired him both physically and mentally.

* * *

CJ returned to B-Dup's apartment with the money in his hands and knocked on his door. After several seconds waiting, CJ finally heard the door open. B-Dup stood right in front of the door. "Yo, I got that cash for you, B-Dup," CJ said. "That dope dealer ain't gonna be selling no more dope around this turf."

B-Dup swiped the cash out of CJ's hands. "Nice work, nigga," he said. "You keep that up, I might get out this game in no time and come back to cap them Balla motherfuckers along with the Grove. Come back when I have some more work to do for you."

B-Dup then shut the door, and CJ walked away. As he walked outside, he felt hope for his gang. All he had was to thank Sweet for this, because Sweet was very determined to get his gang back on its feet. CJ decided to celebrate by visiting Denise.


	30. Chapter 30: Bienvenido a la Familia

So during the next hours, CJ visited Denise's house and spent a nice afternoon with her. He took her out to eat, they hung out at the bar, went to a dance club, and even performed drive-bys on the Ballas and Vagos. After nearly a full hour, CJ dropped Denise back at her house. This could be his chance to get his first girlfriend.

He then checked his watch. It was now 7:58 PM. He decided to see Cesar to get to know him and his allies. So CJ took his lowrider out of the garage of his mother's house and drove straight to El Corona. CJ arrived at Cesar's house to see that it was packed with party guests. Some music from Kid Frost was playing in the background.

_Damn, _CJ thought. _Cesar never told me he was having a party._

CJ walked up to the front door and knocked on the door.

"Hey, CJ!" Cesar called from the left side of the house. "Over here!"

"Hey, Carl," Kendl called waving back.

CJ looked to see Cesar sitting adjacent to Kendl on a lawn chair, with many other Latino guests around the house. One of them was using a grill to cook some tacos.

CJ walked up to Cesar and Kendl . "Hey Kendl," CJ said hugging his sister. He then turned to Cesar. "What's up, ese?" CJ told Cesar as held his arms up. "You didn't invite me?"

"I didn't know you wanted to come to the party, holmes," Cesar said. "I just thought you were busy with other plans; y'know, trying to defend your territory from those Ballas."

"I got that covered, Ceez," CJ told him. "My brother and homies been putting in work. They all real serious about getting the Grove back together. I just came here so we could know each other better."

"That's great, ese," Cesar said. "Go ahead and cap those hijos de putas! Would love to see the rest of your amigos, holmes."

"Yeah," CJ replied. "Well, you gonna have to be patient with them, because aside from the fact that they also ain't down with the Latinos, Big Smoke be speaking this bullshit he got from this so-called book, and Ryder be on that wet shit."

Cesar just laughed. "You really must have some crazy amigos, holmes," Cesar chuckled.

"You have no idea, Ceez," CJ said giving Cesar a high five.

Their conversation didn't last long. Some of Cesar's friends came around to confront CJ, including Jose.

"Hey, what's this maricon doing here?!" Jose snapped pointing fingers at CJ.

"Jose," Cesar protested jumping out of his seat to step in front of his friend. "Chill. He's a friend of mines. We already settled this."

"Well your time to speak for this puto is up, Cesar!" Jose growled as he stared over Cesar's shoulder to glare holes at CJ. "I say this maricon is a poser. He ain't a true gangster. He has no cajones, and he's about to get sliced right now!"

Jose came up to CJ, who didn't flinch a bit from this. "Go ahead and step to me, asshole," CJ told him raising his arms up over his head. "See what happens!"

Cesar held his friend back. "Hands off me, Cesar," Jose snarled. "I don't want this puto setting foot on our turf! I don't like that guy one bit!"

"You need to chill out, fool!" Kendl told him. "That's my brother you're talking to!"

"Easy, Jose!" Cesar told him. "He ain't no poser. He's cool. He's from Grove Street."

Jose then decided to back off. "Okay, pendejo!" he snapped at CJ. "If you're really as tough as you claim to be, then come with me! We're gonna take out those Vago putos and steal their turf! So you're gonna help us take over their turf! That is if you're gangster enough! Prove me wrong and you can consider us your allies!"

CJ knew he didn't have much of a choice. He had enough conflict with the Ballas, and the Vagos were also against his gang. He was in no mood to start feuding with one of Cesar's friends. So CJ agreed without hesitation.

"A'ight, amigo," CJ muttered nonchalantly. "Let's roll."

"Be right back, baby," Cesar told Kendl giving her a kiss on the lips.

"Be careful out there, Ceez," Kendl told him.

* * *

Cesar guided CJ, Jose, and another member to his red Savanna. Cesar hopped in the passenger's seat and the other two members took the back seat.

"CJ," Cesar told CJ pointing at the short Latino member wearing a white T-shirt and baggy khaki pants and a blue bandana on his head and another taller Latino member wearing a blue baseball cap over his brown hair and a blue long-sleeve flannel shirt over baggy brown cargo shorts. "These are my brothers Hazer and Sergio. They're both members of my gang."

"Sup?" CJ greeted.

"Hola," Hazer, the one wearing the bandanna, said back giving CJ a handshake.

"Ídem, ese," Sergio replied with a handshake to CJ himself.

CJ started the engine and drove onto the road. "So where we going?" he asked.

"East Beach!" Jose replied. "We're gonna smoke those Vago putos and take over their territory."

"Vagos' hood?" CJ asked as he drove through Willowfield. "Shit, I'm down."

"Well let's see how well you can defend yourself," Jose replied snidely as CJ made a right turn on Ganton. "Take out these Vagos and you got our respect."

CJ continued driving until he finally made it to East Beach.

"There go some Northside Vagos by the beach, eh," Cesar said as he spotted a group of Vagos hanging by the side of the beach.

"Looks like it's time to blow these cabróns' minds," Hazer added.

"Convenido!" Sergio added. "Time to iced those hijos de puta!"

The four hopped out of the vehicle and ran up to the Vagos armed with machine guns.

"Varrio Los Aztecas comin' through, putos!" Cesar shouted.

The foursome used their weapons to shoot all three members of the Vagos, instigating a gang war in East Beach, which caused a prolific number of Vago gang members to scatter around the streets like a disgusting family of rats scattering around the sewers.

CJ and the other members of the Aztecas shot at the Vagos as they fired at them with machine guns themselves. Some of them were even armed with shotguns They all took cover behind the trees and platform behind the beach. CJ did a quick roll behind the beach's platform and fired back at one of the Vagos, killing each and every one of them at a time.

The shootout between CJ and the other members of the Aztecas against the Vagos lasted for a good forty-five seconds until every member of the Vagos were now dead. The second wave of the gang war was slightly tougher, as more of the Vagos were armed with AK-47s and shot at CJ and the others.

"Take cover, amigos!" Cesar yelled as he and the rest of the members dodged the bullets fired by the Vagos.

The four gangsters fired back at the rival gang while dodging their bullets fired at them. CJ continued shooting back, and he and the rest of the members killed each Vagos member one by one. They watched as the Vagos all started dropping like flies onto the road, most of them lying in a puddle of their own blood.

On the third wave, the Vagos were armed heavily with various weapons: sub-machine guns, AK-47's, and shotguns.

_Ah shit! _CJ thought. _This gang is fucking crazy!_

So as the Vagos fired furiously at CJ and the other allies by his side, CJ and co. fired back, killing each member with whatever they had handy, and soon, the shootout was so intense that even the cars on the street and the windows on the apartment buildings from across the street were also getting destroyed. This wave of the gang war was indeed a lot tougher than CJ expected.

But he didn't let it bother him. It just only meant he and his allies had more competition in the hood. So CJ and his allies continued to shoot back at the Vagos and killed each member one by one. The shootout lasted for two minutes until CJ shot down the last member of the Vago, causing him to reclaim East Beach.

* * *

"Nice one, CJ," Cesar cheered. "You're a killer here in LS."

"I agree, amigo," Hazer added.

"Great shooting, CJ!" Sergio congratulated. "Those fucking Vagos had it coming!"

Jose just stared holes at CJ with his arms folded. "Well, Jose," Cesar told his friend. "Is CJ still a poser like you say he is, or is he truly gangster?"

Jose glared at CJ for a very long time. CJ just stared back, not saying a word and expecting Jose's answer. After several seconds, Jose finally unfolded his arms and extended his hand out to CJ to shake.

"Alright, holmes," he finally told CJ. "You got me. You're cool now, ese. Eres uno de nosotros, holmes."

"Cool," CJ replied. "Thanks for the gratitude, ese."

"Come on, let's get back to the fiesta, amigos," Cesar said guiding everyone to his Savanna.

Everybody hopped inside the vehicle, and CJ started driving on his way back to El Corona.

"So where are you from, CJ?" Jose asked him.

"I stay over at Grove Street with my brother," CJ answered.

"Grove Street?" Jose asked.

"Yeah," CJ answered. "Straight outta Ganton!"

"Well I guess I misjudged you, hombre," Jose replied. "You are gangster."

"Si," Cesar agreed. "Hey, CJ, thanks for helping us out, holmes. "You're a real dependable amigo."

"F'sho, Ceez," CJ said. "I appreciate the compliment."

CJ made it through El Corona and finally parked in the driveway of Cesar's house. CJ, Cear, Hazer, and Jose all exited the vehicle. They walked over back to the party, and Cesar and CJ stared at each other to have a small conversation.

* * *

"Hey, Carl," Kendl told CJ later on. "You want to shoot some hoops while we here?"

"That's okay, sis," CJ told her walking away. "I had a long day and I want to rest."

"Ah, I see," Kendl sneered. "You don't want anyone to know about our matches from before."

"Ah, you played b-ball against CJ before?" Cesar asked Kendl.

"If you were there in our past matches, Ceez, you'd see who's the real champion," Kendl said. "And it ain't the chicken!"

CJ was reminded of his past basketball matches against Kendl. She was the most athletic of the Johnson siblings and enjoyed playing many sports, including basketball, and she was 22-4 against CJ every game they played against each other. CJ was rather embarrassed of the fact that his sister was a much better basketball player than her, and he was determined to catch up to her.

"Oooh!" Hazer called out. "Your sister's calling you out, ese!"

CJ then turned to face Kendl. "You know what?" he told her. "It's on! You and me at the basketball court over at East Los Santos! Let's get a game!"

* * *

Soon, CJ and Kendl were at the basketball court in East Los Santos, with Cesar and his gang watching. Kendl was behind the three point line and took the shot as the ball went right through the basket.

"Check, Carl," Kendl sneered tossing the ball to CJ.

CJ grabbed the ball and passed it to Kendl. He spread his legs apart to get into defense mode as Kendl began to dribble the ball. "Show me whatcha got, CJ," Kendl told him smiling smugly. "You think you can defend this woman?"

Before he knew it, Kendl began to dribble around and shook past CJ, driving to the paint and making a basket before CJ had a chance to swat her shot away. Kendl scored a basket.

"And Kendl Johnson scores past her brother!" Kendl announced. "Losers out, CJ!"

So Kendl checked the ball to CJ, who started dribbling. "You think you could get past me, Carl?" Kendl asked smugly. Her defense was surprisingly tight, and CJ had trouble getting past his sister.

"Come on, holmes!" one of the members of the Aztecas shouted. "You telling me you can't get past a woman?!"

"She got the lockdown!" Sergio added.

CJ tried to drive to the hoop, only to get the ball stripped by Kendl. The latter stole back the ball and cleared it. CJ went back on defense to lock Kendl down. But Kendl was still to quick for him and drove to the paint to score another basket. The members of the Aztecas cheered as Kendl checked the ball back to CJ.

"Let's see you try again, Carl," Kendl told her brother.

CJ refused to let his own sister embarrass him on the court, especially in front of Cesar. So CJ did the post-up move Sweet had taught him as he came closer to the hoop and threw the shot up, banking it in the basket as he scored his first point.

"Oooh, this is getting good, hombre," Cesar cheered clapping.

The match between CJ and Kendl was going well. Both were getting great shots, with Kendl driving to the basket and even taking an equal number of jumpshots. She was also dominating CJ on the defensive end as well, stealing the ball from him on several occasions. Meanwhile, all CJ could score were jumpshots, as Kendl refused to let him drive inside the basket. He did get a few steals though and a couple of block shots as well. Cesar and his buddies were cheering the two Johnson siblings on, really enjoying the game.

Soon, the game was tied to 20 a piece, and CJ was the one with the ball. With Kendl defending him tightly, CJ struggled to get to the hoop to score a basket. But it also gave him the opportunity to stay behind the line. He dribbled the ball for a moment and stepped back. He then set his feet and shot the ball quickly, making a basket. CJ had won the match by two points, and everyone cheered for the siblings.

"Yeah!" CJ cheered. "My turn to prevail!"

"Great game, Carl," Kendl congratulated smiling. "You actually got better over the years. You still have a long ways to catch up to me though."

"I'll catch up to you, sis," CJ told Kendl. "I'll match you eventually."

"I doubt it," Kendl laughed.

"You two played a remarkable game, holmes," Cesar told the siblings stepping up to each other. "You really do got game, Kendl."

"Thanks, Ceez," Kendl replied. "Maybe one day, they'll finally invent the WNBA."

"WNBA?" CJ asked.

"NBA for women," Kendl answered. "I feel that we women deserve to join the national basketball league as well, and when they do make it, I'll be there to join."

"I think you'd make a great WNBA player, mi mujer," Cesar told Kendl. "You're the first female I've ever seen that could ball."

"You have no idea," CJ added.

"Hey Kendl," Cesar told Kendl. "Maybe you and I could play 1-on-1 sometime too. If you can play hardcore 'D' on me, I'll reward you with the 'D', if you know what I mean." Cesar then winked seductively.

Kendl giggled at Cesar's implication. "Good one, Ceez," she chuckled. "You'll have to get past me in the game if you want to get a chance to score with this chick."

The two couples just laughed. They couldn't help with the puns, and it only brought them closer to each other.

* * *

Soon, CJ, Kendl, Cesar, and his buddies were back at the party having a great time. CJ was facing Cesar as the others were having dinner.

"So whatcha say I hang out here for a while and we could get to know each other?" CJ asked Cesar.

"You don't need to ask, holmes," Cesar replied. "Anything you need, anything you'd like to know, I'm here for you, man. Consider us amigos for life, ese."

CJ and Cesar then shook hands and continued enjoying themselves at the party. During the party, the two began to hang out along with the rest of Cesar's friends and got to know each other through conversations. CJ was beginning to get the hang of talking to Cesar as he got to know them. He hoped his brother and friends would eventually warm up to him someday, especially Sweet, who was already uncomfortable with Kendl dating Cesar to begin with.


	31. Chapter 31: Danger Zone

The next day, CJ rode through Ganton to see B-Dup for more tasks to complete. He came across the apartment buildings and put his vehicle in park. He hopped out of the lowrider and ran to the apartment buildings. As he stepped inside, he saw some cockroaches crawling on the walls and spiders building a web on the corner.

_I'm surprised B-Dup didn't make Bear sweep up the mess in this hallway, _CJ thought.

He went to B-Dup's door and knocked on it loudly.

"Yo B-Dup!" he called. "You in there?!"

CJ waited for several seconds until he saw the door slowly open and B-Dup standing right there.

"Right on time, CJ!" B-Dup said grinning. "Come on in!"

CJ walked inside as B-Dup opened the door wider. "So what other types of jobs you have for me to do for you, Dup?" CJ asked him.

"A'ight, listen up!" B-Dup explained. "I have just one last job for you to do for me, and I promise you, I'm out of this drug dealing business for good! And I'm gonna be back on the Grove to cap them Balla motherfuckers!"

CJ's face brightened up like a buzzer on the shot clock above the basketball hoop. "No shit?!" he asked sounding eager.

"Hell yeah!" B-Dup answered. "After this one job, you can kiss this crack epidemic bullshit goodbye!"

"Yo that's great, man!" CJ said. "Great to know that, homie!"

"Yeah," B-Dup told him. "I took a second thought about this crack game and it's fucking up the 'hood, homie! No amount of money is worth spreading this shit all over the 'hood!"

"I'm glad you had a change of heart, homie!" CJ told him giving him a high five. "We can't be having no drugs fucking up the families!"

"I know, Dog!" B-Dup replied. "The crack's been introduced in the 'hood ever since this loan shark came around and started helping the Ballas' drug dealing business expand in order to have them taking over."

"Ah shit!" CJ cried out. "So this crack's been introduced in the hood because of some loan shark?!"

"Hell yeah!" B-Dup told him. "It turns out this loan shark was working for the Ballas all along. Luckily, Sweet blasted that motherfucker last year!"

"Good on him," CJ said. "So what is that last job you need me to do for you, B-Dup?"

"Simple," B-Dup said. "All you gotta do is grab my weed. I got it hidden underneath the floorboards in the trapdoor of this abandoned house all the way back in Willowfield. All the way on the left side. I just want to smoke my final joint before quitting this shitty drug business."

"Oh, f'sho, B-Dup," CJ told him giving him another high five. "I'm down with that."

"Cool," B-Dup replied. "No go ahead and do yo' job, homie. Consider me recruited after this."

* * *

CJ nodded as he walked away. He was feeling even more confident than ever. He would finally get B-Dup back to fight for Grove Street and would most definitely consider getting Big Bear into rehab as well.

He walked out of the apartment building and went to his lowrider, hopping inside and starting the engine before he drove back onto the road. CJ drove straight ahead and made a right turn on Willowfield. He drove straight and made a left turn down the street.

He looked on the left side, where B-Dup said the abandoned house was located. CJ drove closer to the dead end of the road and put his vehicle on park. He hopped out of the vehicle and walked up to the abandoned house.

* * *

CJ took a discerning look at the house. It was dilapidated and broken down. The glass of the windows was missing. The boards were falling apart. CJ took a deep breath and walked into the building. Inside was bare and replete with cobwebs. Cockroaches crawled all over the walls. Graffiti was also written on the wall as well. It was like walking into a cave ran by thugs.

CJ felt his heart pumping. He knew he was getting himself into a risky job. But he had too much heart to back out now. So he searched around for the trapdoor by walking around the house. He walked through the living room, the kitchen, the den, and finally the basement.

_Shit, _CJ thought. _This nigga didn't tell me it would be hot down here._

As CJ made it down the basement, he walked down the stark darkness. It was feeling hot and dry down there. There was a heater right on the right corner roaring silently.

CJ heard his heart beat hard. He walked around until he finally found the trapdoor and promptly opened it. There it was! The bag of weed! Just like B-Dup said it would be!

So CJ grabbed the bag of weed and stored it in his pocket. He started to sweat a little bit. It was hot and sticky in the basement. But CJ wasn't discouraged. At least he got the bag of weed to give to B-Dup. Most importantly, B-Dup was finally going to rejoin the Grove Street Families to help take back the hood.

* * *

But CJ's luck just ran out when he finally stepped out of the basement door, where he walked through the den to be confronted by a group of Ballas.

"What the fuck?!" CJ cried.

"Yeah, you ain't got no place to run now, motherfucker!" one of the Ballas members taunted.

"Any last words, punk?!" another member asked CJ snidely. "Before we blast your bitch ass?!"

"Ah shit!" CJ grunted.

CJ barely made it back into the basement when the Ballas began firing their bullets at him. CJ ducked behind some crates on the right-hand corner and looked to see one of the Ballas members walking through the door firing bullets at CJ.

CJ showed no hesitation and fired back at the Balla member, riddling him with bullets. More Ballas came through the door and started firing bullets at CJ. The young gangster just stayed behind the crates as he fired back at each Balla member, killing them all one by one.

The shoot-out lasted for a good two minutes until CJ killed the last Balla member that came down the stairs shooting at CJ. It was now silent, and all that was heard was the heater in the basement.

CJ looked behind the crates to see the dead bodies of the Ballas lying on the floor and slowly crept out of the basement, very cautious of any other gang member that would eventually pop out to attack him.

* * *

CJ quickly ran outside and hopped inside the lowrider. Unfortunately, as he attempted to ride away, he heard police sirens. The cops were right behind him!

_Ah shit! _CJ thought. _I just got over the Ballas trying to kill me! Now I got the cops after my tail?! Can't anybody ever give me a fucking break for once?!_

So CJ stomped hard on the gas pedal and sped as fast as he could, with the police car trailing behind. CJ took a left turn on Ganton and drove straight down, crossing the railroad tracks through Idlewood and making a left turn on the road, where he quickly entered the Paint 'n' Spray.

* * *

He quickly lost the cops and slowly backed away from inside the garage onto the street. Before he began to back away, he heard his cellphone ring and quickly answered it.

"Yeah," CJ answered.

"CJ, it's Bear," he heard Big Bear say over the phone.

"Big Bear?" CJ replied. "What's up, man? Aye, I got the weed. Thankfully, I grabbed it before them Balla Dope Pushers ambushed me in Willowfield."

"Yeah," Big Bear answered. "That's kinda what I called you about."

"What's up, Bear?" CJ asked suddenly sounding confused.

"How you think the Ballas knew you would be all the way out there in Willowfield?" Big Bear asked him.

"So you telling me that B-Dup set me up?!" CJ cried out.

"You just got played, homie!" Big Bear responded. "That dude was never gonna quit the drug business."

"I can't believe this shit!" CJ growled.

"Hey," Big Bear said. "Come back over here, homie. There's something I need to talk to you about."

CJ hung up the phone and shook his head. B-Dup had actually ambushed him. He was never going to help Grove Street Families after all, and CJ was naïve enough to believe it. So without another word, he drove furiously down to Ganton street.


	32. Chapter 32: Bear Out

CJ abruptly pulled up in front of the apartment buildings. He put the vehicle on park and hopped out of the vehicle. CJ was furious! He was ready to tear B-Dup a new one. So he stormed into the apartment building and banged hard on B-Dup's door.

"Open up, B-Dup!" CJ hollered furiously. "I got a bone to pick with you, motherfucker!"

He stopped when he saw Big Bear opening the door slowly. "CJ," he said. "What's up?"

CJ pushed the door open and searched around the room. "Where's B-Dup, Bear?" he asked. "I'm finna give that asshole a piece of my mind!"

"B-Dup just left," Big Bear told him. "He kept me in here to clean this house while he went away to pick up some food for himself. I'm telling you, CJ, I understand how those slaves back then felt after I became B-Dup's slave, man."

"How this happen to you, Bear?" CJ asked. "How B-Dup get his claws on you and make you his base slave?"

"It all started after Sweet murdered the loan shark last year," Bear told him. "We were all celebrating and hoping that we were someday gonna get rid of that crack that's been fucking up the hood."

"Okay," CJ said. "I'm listening."

"So then B-Dup convinced me to make a little money," Big Bear continued to explain, "and before I knew it, I was selling this shit to the drug addicts that were sniffing around the streets right behind Grove Street's back. At first, I wasn't too worried since we were only selling it to the bums in the streets and not to our own gang. And as the months passed, I guess I should've followed the most important rule of the underworld: Don't get high off your own supply. Next thing I know, I'm as thin as a rail, and B-Dup decided to take advantage of this by making me his base slave."

"Aww man," CJ said. "Sorry you had to deal with that, Bear."

"Yeah," Big Bear replied.

"We gotta get you to rehab, homie!" CJ told him. "You gotta get out of this crack game, man. It's messing with your mind. Time for a little detox."

"Do I have to?" Big Bear asked.

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?" CJ asked back.

"Most successful diet I ever been on!" Big Bear joked.

CJ chuckled a bit. "But seriously, Bear," he told him, "now ain't the time for jokes. We gotta get you clean, dude."

"Alright, CJ," Big Bear replied. "But first, let's destroy all this shit around the house. Grab a bat and help me get started."

* * *

CJ was determined to get back at B-Dup for setting him up earlier. So he and Big Bear each grabbed a bat and started destroying everything in the apartment room. Big Bear smashed a few lamps while CJ cracked some tables and wrecked some chairs. He also smashed a television and VCR on the stand and demolished some picture frames.

CJ went inside the kitchen and ripped apart some cabinets and pulled open some drawers, scattering the kitchen utensils all over the floor. CJ also opened the refrigerator and freezer and took all the food out of each storage. He tossed them all over the floor and walls and smeared them onto the counters while leaving the fridge and freezer doors opened to let all the cool air out. Finally, CJ turned the faucet of the sink on and plugged the hole, causing the sink to gradually flood.

CJ then walked into the kitchen to find the apartment building completely trashed. "Alright, Bear," CJ told Big Bear. "Now just walk out of the room and watch me light this place up."

CJ still had the leftover Molotov cocktails with him and decided to through it inside B-Dup's apartment room. The room gradually caught on fire, and the smoke detector instantly sounded as CJ quickly closed the door behind him.

* * *

"Come on, Bear," CJ told Big Bear. "Let's get up outta here!"

Big Bear followed along as CJ ran out through the front door of the apartment building. The two ran to CJ's lowrider and hopped inside. CJ started the engine and drove off.

"Damn, Bear," CJ told Big Bear as he drove through Idlewood. "You really let yourself go, man. You used to be hardcore. What happened?"

"Man, Grove Street Families used to be tight, man," Big Bear answered. "Then Lil' Brian caught it, you ran off. I don't mean to diss you, but you did, man."

"I know," CJ protested driving through Commerce. "But I'm back now."

"True, homie," Big Bear replied. "That's real speed. Anyway's man, Sweet, he just became a hard man to deal with, y'know? Then we got bad blood with Seville Boulevard Families and they split from the Grove. Then Temple, hell, they went lone-ranger too. Sweet, he did absolutely nothing since last year. Next thing I knew, B-Dup, he's making money, Grove Street, they set trippin'. Streets ain't no place to be when every fool is trying to make a move. So I tried my first blast - see what the fuss is all about, right? Now look at me, a fucking rockstar... ain't jack shit to be proud of, man."

CJ just shook his head. It was all too much. One of Grove Street's most physically powerful members of the gang had become emaciated due to his crack addiction. It probably hit him the worst out of all the members. CJ prayed that Big Bear would finally get back on his feet after he was completely clean from his addiction.

"We gonna put all this behind us, Bear," CJ replied. "Grove is coming back and the OG posse is on the bounce."

CJ finally made it to the rehabilitation center at Market Street and pulled over to the front.

"Go on in, Bear," CJ told him. "You know we here for you, a'ight? I know that Sweet hasn't really done much of anything this year based on what you told me, but he's working to get the families back together again. He's putting in work, and so are the rest of the families."

"That's cool, homie," Big Bear said. "But what you gonna do about B-Dup?"

"I'll deal with that bitch-ass nigga B-Dup later," CJ said. "Right now, I gotta help my brother get the Grove back together, take out them Balla Dope Pushers to show them their time is up. For life, Big Bear."

"You right," Big Bear told him. "For life, CJ."

* * *

CJ watched as he hopped out of the vehicle and walked into the building. He clasped his hands together and prayed silently. He wanted to get Big Bear healthy again and back to join the gang again to reinforce the families. He also wanted Sweet to be a better leader and Ryder to quit smoking the PCP, as well as getting C.R.A.S.H. off his back.

_Lord, I may not be a saint, _he prayed, _but I still have standards. My moms and little bro are no longer on this earth because of me. My family is falling apart because of this hood mentality. I just want to get the crack out of the hood and keep our streets away from that stuff. I know I messed up, but I'm back to fix everything I broken. Just please keep the families together. Amen._


	33. Chapter 33: House Party

CJ arrived at the Burger Shot to find OG Loc in his usual attire, no longer wearing the Burger Shot uniform. He walked out and turned to the manager standing out on the front door.

Hey, fuck you, man!" he shouted at the manager. "And I don't care what you heard, I ain't nobody's Ass Technician, bitch!"

"Hey, hey, whassup, Loc?" CJ greeted giving him a high five.

"'Technician' ain't gangsta, that's wassup!" OG Loc replied.

"I heard that!" CJ said.

"Listen, Carl," OG Loc said, "If I'm going back to a cell, I wanna have a big party first. This may be my last chance to get heard."

"Okay, so what's the plan?" CJ asked.

"Well I'm gonna slide back over to Grove Street and get those sounds bombastic-fantasic," OG Loc told him.

"Alright, so what do you want me to do?" CJ asked.

"I want you to get ready for the party!" OG Loc answered. "Then get some girls, man!"

"OK..." CJ said sounding interested.

"Get some real fly girls, you know what I'm saying?" OG Loc told him.

"Yeah," CJ replied grinning. "That's what I'm talking about."

"The ones in the bikinis and shit, in the videos?" OG Loc reminded. "I told you, brother, I am the chronicler of our struggle, the voice of the Families, like Moses, only keeping it real. You know what I'm saying?"

* * *

So CJ waved goodbye to OG Loc and hopped on his bicycle. The party started at 8:00 PM and he wanted to wear something nice. So as CJ pedaled his way through the city, he stopped at Pro-Laps just down Rodeo and picked out some new threads: a red-and-white Rimmers jacket, baggy blue denim pants, and white hi-top sneakers.

As CJ exited the clothing store, he heard his cellphone ring. CJ picked it up to answer it.

"Hey, CJ!" he heard Loc say over the phone. "Word up, G!"

"Hey, Loc!" CJ answered.

"This party's jumping!" OG Loc said. "We got a gang of crazy ass bitches in the house! You comin' over, homie?!"

"Uh, I don't know, man," CJ told him. "I have some plans tonight."

"But we have a big disaster!" OG Loc announced. "I won't be rapping! My mic's broken!"

"Ah, okay," CJ replied. "I'ma come over right now then."

CJ put aside his cellphone and hopped onto his bike. As he rode through the city, he searched for any gang member that might randomly shoot at him at any moment. Like Sweet said, it was crazy around where he was riding through. So CJ was able to watch his back as he rode through the city and finally back into his street in Ganton.

* * *

OG Loc's house was just right across Beverly's house, and the music was bumping loudly inside. CJ hopped off his bike and headed into OG Loc's house.

There was OG Loc standing by the DJ as he started dancing, ready to prepare himself to kick off his freestyle.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... this is me, OG Loc, in the house, baby..." he shouted. "And I'm gonna... drop it down for all my real gangsta niggaz... All of my gangsta bitches... Speaking about gangsta, look at my man CJ right there - what up, nigga? What UUUUUUUUPPPP..."

CJ just glared at OG Loc as the latter started rapping terribly. "Thought the motherfucking mic was broke..." he grumbled silently. He could not believe OG Loc had tricked him into coming to the party, and OG Loc's rapping was so awful that CJ would even admit that Vanilla Ice had more flow than him.

"Hey, what's up, homie?!" he heard Ryder say as he approached him.

"What's up, Ryder?" CJ greeted.

"All the homies in the back, man, away from this whack music," Ryder growled walking out to the exit plugging his ears.

"Man, I'm furious," CJ muttered. "C'mon."

It didn't even get any better when OG Loc started freestyling, and boy, was he atrocious!

"I'm the man in the place, Punch you in the face, A gun in my waist... It's Loc, baby! Yo it's Loc Loc - It's Loc Loc..."

His rapping was so terrible that even the Grove Street Families gang members had to step outside to avoid not just his terrible rapping, but his wannabe gangster persona.

_Man, that dude is lucky none of us tried to blast him, _CJ thought. _Then again, we'll just be giving him a rep if we killed him._

"Damn, man, his lyrics is horrible!" Ryder declared furiously.

"That dude needs some work, man," CJ said.

"Hell, yeah," Ryder agreed.

"What up, fellas?" Sweet greeted the two.

"Hey, what's up with you, homie?!" CJ said giving Sweet a handshake.

"So you back on the block, huh?" Sweet asked.

"Hell, yeah," CJ replied.

"You a real killer, huh?" Sweet asked.

"What he done that I ain't - huh?" Ryder asked furiously.

"What you talkin' about, nigga?" Sweet asked the hot-tempered stoner.

"Yeah, relax, man!" CJ added calmly.

"Don't pay him any mind, CJ," Sweet told CJ. "He probably acting this way because he thinks we forgot about him, y'know, since he has family issues of his own. He wishes he could be brothers with us too."

"You really goin' there, Sweet?" Ryder groaned.

CJ knew exactly what Sweet was implying. "Yeah, you probably right, Sweet," CJ said. "Hey Ryder, just admit, you know you love her deep down. Y'all don't speak often, but you know you miss her deep down."

"Man, why y'all bringin' her up?" Ryder grumbled. "I told you, I ain't speakin' to her!"

"You ain't speaking to her, but you secretly miss her," CJ teased. "Admit it, Ryder. You know you do. Would a hug from her make you feel any better? I know she loves you just as much." He and Sweet laughed while Ryder just glared at them.

"Man, fuck both of y'all," Ryder muttered angrily.

Just then, a fellow Grove Street member on his bike hopped off and ran to the gang as he pedaled. "Hey," he told the gang, "a Ballas posse is about to run up! They headed up here right now!"

"Looks like we backed them Ballas against the wall, huh?" Sweet announced as the gang started getting into position.

"Hey, CJ, strap up!" Ryder told him. "It's Grove Street!"

* * *

The gang them dispersed and prepared for the gang war, getting their weapons ready.

"Shit, I'll go round up some homies!" Ryder announced. "I'm a get Smoke and some Grove boys."

Ryder ran to his house and hopped into his Picador. He took the alleyway and sped away.

"OK, get some cars, block the road," Sweet ordered the other members. The rest of y'all get heated."

So Sweet and the other members blocked the streets with cars. They watched as a car came speeding into the roadblock. The Ballas arrived just in time to fire at the Grove Street gang members. CJ and the other members shot back at the Ballas

"Take your positions," Sweet told the members. "Carl, get some company, double those fools!"

CJ complied and help Sweet and the other shoot down the Ballas members, using the parked cars as cover. They killed every one of them one by one.

Just then, four Ballas members appeared on top of the Ganton bridge.

"Ae ae, look, more of them up on the bridge!" Sweet announced.

CJ didn't say anything as he just shot at the Ballas standing up above him and the rest of the gang. As their bullets connected, each member of the Ballas fell back, and one of them even fell right off the bridge.

More Ballas sprang up after the ones on the bridge were killed, with five appearing in the alleyway beside The Johnson House.

"Carl, cover the alleyway!" Sweet warned.

CJ and the rest of the members shot at the Ballas appearing in the alleyway and even through Ryder's backyard.

Suddenly, there were more Ballas members appearing behind them shooting at them, and even some of the Grove Street members had dropped dead.

"Behind us, CJ, behind us!" Sweet warned.

CJ, Sweet, and the remaining Grove Street members dispersed and took cover of all the flying bullets around them. They hopped behind the cars and shot back. The shoot-out lasted for a good five minutes, and CJ, Sweet, and the remaining Grove Street Families members killed the remaining Ballas invading their territory, and the group proceeded back to the party.

"GROVE IS KING!" Sweet cheered beating his chest.

"Man, I ain't never seen the Ballas roll that deep before," CJ said.

"Yeah, they heard Carl Johnson was running with his brother again!" Sweet told him.

"Yeah, fo' sure," CJ replied.

"C'mon, let's get back to the party," Sweet told CJ.

"Shit man, once Loc got off the mic, then the party got started," CJ said.

But before they could get back inside, they saw headlights approaching the street. CJ, Sweet, and the other members pointing their guns at the approaching car and saw Ryder's Picador pulling up into the street. Big Smoke was sitting in the passenger's seat, and Ryder pulled up in front of the gang. He looked around to find the Ballas members' corpses lying on the ground.

"Damn!" Ryder grunted. "I missed it!"

"What the hell happened here?" Big Smoke asked.

"Them Ballas Pushers rolled deep in the 'hood, that's what happened!" Sweet answered.

"I'll say," Ryder replied. "Y'all caught a bunch of bodies here!"

"They was caught slippin'," CJ added. "But we showed them what happens to anyone who messes with Grove Street."

"Where the hell you two were?" Sweet asked Ryder and Big Smoke.

"We were trying to find some homies to get in in this shoot-out," Ryder replied. "But most of them weren't even around."

"Well that don't matter anymore," Sweet told him. "Because at least y'all here. Grove Street 4 Life! Say it with me – Grove Street 4 Life!"

"Grove Street 4 Life!" CJ yelled.

"Grove Street 4 Life!" the other members shouted.

"Grove Street 4 Life!" Ryder added beating his chest.

"Uh…. Grove Street 4 Life," Big Smoke added sounding guiltier.

"You okay, Smoke?" CJ asked.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Big Smoke replied.

"You don't sound too proud," CJ told him.

"I am, Carl, I am," Big Smoke protested. "I just feel bad for all the shit that fucked us all up, that's all."

"Well, we gonna bring the gang back on top, Smoke," CJ told him. "Right now, let's get this party reinstated!"

The other members cheered in agreement, and Ryder and Big Smoke hopped out of the vehicle and joined the other members inside OG Loc's house. Looks like the party was going to be fun after all, even if OG Loc had no skill as a rapper whatsoever.


	34. Chapter 34: Reuniting the Families

CJ slept all day. He was still tired from the party last night. The party didn't end until 6:54 AM, and CJ was feeling too tired. He slept in his mother's house and didn't wake up until 7:35 PM. He hopped out of the bed and looked out of the window. The sky was a bright afternoon, and the sun was almost about to set.

CJ decided to see what Sweet and the other guys were up to. So he threw on a green long-sleeve shirt over baggy green camo pants and green sneakers. He also put on a green bandanna on his head, tucked his pistol and tech nine to his belt, and walked downstairs. He went into the kitchen and made himself a peanut butter banana sandwich.

* * *

After eating, CJ darted out of the front door and headed to Sweet's house. He ran to the front porch and walked inside the house. He made his way into the living room, where he saw Ryder lounging on the sofa smoking his joint while Sweet and Big Smoke were sitting on another couch next to each other watching the television.

"Damn, that bitch is bad!" Big Smoke whispered eyeing the television hard. "Oh, yeah!"

"Wassup, y'all?!" CJ greeted everyone.

"Wassup, playa?!" Big Smoke replied.

"Wassup CJ?!" Sweet himself greeted. "Turn that TV off right quick."

Big Smoke grabbed the remote and clicked the television off. "Listen up, fellas," Sweet told the other three, "like we were saying. No more base in the streets."

"Finally," CJ sighed.

"Peep this," Sweet explained, "we're gonna unite the Families once more. Because the Ballas have been bumping our guys full of base for too long, while we argue amongst ourselves. So all the Families sets are gonna meet down at the Jefferson Motel."

Sweet then hopped out of his seat. "I say it's time we went down there and made it official," he announced. "Keep that shit of our streets! I vote I'm our representative on this one."

"That's right," CJ agreed.

"Hey, it's all good!" Big Smoke replied as he got up off of his seat. "If Sweet think he can handle it, then I'm down with him, man."

"A'ight - let's roll, homies," Sweet ordered guiding everyone out the front door.

"Let's do this!" CJ said following along.

"Yeah, let's go, man," Big Smoke added following along as well.

Ryder, completely silent through all of this, hopped out of the sofa as well and started to follow the other three. But not before dumping the ashes of his joint in the ashtray sitting on the table.

* * *

CJ, Sweet, Smoke and Ryder hopped into Sweet's Greenwood, with CJ driving the car straight ahead.

"Say, CJ, you gon' crash the car again?" Ryder joked.

"Fuck you, Ryder!" CJ shot back.

"Ryder, give CJ a break, man," Sweet told the stoned gangster. "He's practically turned the Grove around by himself."

"I was just telling a joke on the little nigga," Ryder protested.

"Everything you do is a joke, Ryder!" CJ told him.

"That ain't true!" Ryder growled furiously.

"Ryder, just chill the fuck out, man," Big Smoke told him calmly.

"Remember - we're reuniting the families and no bullshit," Sweet told everyone as CJ made a left turn on Jefferson. "Stay cool."

"You know me, Sweet," Ryder told him. "Cool as a Shaolin monk."

"Especially you, Ryder!" Sweet told him.

"What you mean?" Ryder asked sounding rather disgruntled. "I resent your implication and shit!"

"Sweet's just sayin' you a natural killer baby," Big Smoke told Ryder. "But you gotta check yourself and be cool."

"Yeah," Ryder replied. "Well put it like this - I understand what he's trying to say, but I'm always cool, fool!"

"Hey, we all down with that, baby!" Big Smoke replied.

"Y'know, Smoke," CJ told him. "I think I know why Ryder tries to poke fun at me. Because he ain't got nobody else important to argue with."

Big Smoke began to laugh as he understood CJ's implicit reply. "Hey Ryder," Big Smoke told Ryder resting a fat hand on his shoulder. "You still miss her? It's only been a year since you two last talked to each other." Big Smoke began to laugh even harder as Ryder just stared back glaring behind his sunglasses.

"Get yo' hands off me, fool!" Ryder growled snatching his shoulder out of the fat man's reach.

"Yeah, Ryder miss her so much he tries to use CJ as an insult target to make up for that," Sweet chimed in laughing as well.

"Man keep her out of this!" Ryder snapped.

"You must really do miss her since you snapping that sharply!" Sweet chuckled.

"Be honest Ryder, you know you love her if you looking for someone else to insult," CJ chuckled. "I'm sure a kiss from her will make it all better for you." Soon, everyone but Ryder was laughing.

"Man, fuck y'all," Ryder replied.

"Just fucking withcha, Ryder," CJ told him as he finally made it to the Jefferson Motel. "We good."

"Yeah," Big Smoke added. "I'm sure she still loves you as well."

* * *

CJ pulled up into the parking lot, and Sweet began getting his weapon ready. "OK, it's strictly one rep' per set," he told the other three. "You guys are gonna have to wait here."

"We'll be there just in case, bro," CJ told him.

"Thanks, homie," Sweet said, "but I'm down with these boys."

So Sweet hopped out of the vehicle and ran into the motel. As Sweet got inside, the other three were looking around the outside of the motel, where the former Grove Street Families members were hanging around.

"I don't like this, man," Ryder said sounding slightly nervous. "Look at all them other family 'hoods! They used to be Grove Streets."

"Relax," CJ replied. "We straight, they straight. How about you, Smoke?"

"Hey, I'm feelin' a little exposed, but I'm good," Big Smoke said.

Suddenly, a Los Santos Police Department unit arrived in a helicopter. "This is the Los Santos Police Department!" one of the pilots onto the helicopter shouted through a megaphone. "Everybody stay where you are!"

CJ, Ryder, and Big Smoke all watched as the light from the helicopter shone down the ground. "Oh shit!" CJ shouted as he promptly hopped out of the vehicle, pulling out a shotgun in the process.

"All units rock 'n' roll!" one of the SWAT cops bellowed as they all slid down from the ropes being lowered from the helicopter.

"Man, what you doing?!" Ryder shouted at CJ.

"Carl, get back in, man we outta here baby!" Big Smoke pleaded.

"I ain't leavin' my brother!" CJ protested. "I ain't no busta!"

"Man, it's every motherfucka for himself!" Ryder shouted as Big Smoke hopped into the driver's seat and backed up into the road right before driving away.

* * *

As the cops tried to take out the former Grove Street Families members outside, CJ quietly snuck his way into the Jefferson Motel.

Inside was a disaster. The guests were being harassed and even killed by the cops, and some of the Grove Street Families members were brutally beaten. CJ felt his heart thumping hard. He wasn't sure if he could make it out of the hotel alive.

He turned to his left to scale the stairs when he saw one of the members lying against the wall all bruised up.

"Where the OG's at?" he asked the beaten-down member. "I gotta get my brother, Sweet!"

"They were meeting in the back of the motel someplace..." the member muttered incoherently.

CJ then turned to scale the stairs and made it on the second floor, where some cops tried to shoot at him. CJ took cover and used the walls to protect himself. He crept from behind and shot each cop one by one.

He continued navigating through the hallways until he came across more of the former members of the Grove Street Families at the end of the room, where more SWAT officers appeared from the skylight.

"Families!" CJ warned. "Cops comin' in from behind!"

So CJ just shot them all down before they even had a chance to land onto the ground and continued his way on the right side of the other hallways, where more SWAT officers appeared from the rooms. CJ took cover and killed each officer one by one.

CJ then made his way through the other side of the hallway, and soon, more SWAT officers were appearing from more rooms.

_Damn! _CJ thought. _How many of these fucking officers are there?_

CJ just continued shooting at the officers as they fired at him, killing each and every one of them. After every last officer was now down, CJ finally made it to the end of one of the rooms, where he finally found Sweet inside.

"What took you?" Sweet asked CJ. "Where's Smoke and Ryder?"

"They shook on us," CJ told him.

"Fuck it, let's get out of here," Sweet said.

* * *

So CJ and Sweet both took the stairs on top of the motel, only to get confronted by yet another chopper hovering up above them.

"This is the Los Santos Police Department!" the pilot of the chopper shouted through the megaphone. "Stay where you are!"

"CJ, that chopper's all over us!" Sweet shouted as he and CJ took cover behind the air conditioners of the roof. "Hit it!"

CJ and Sweet attacked the chopper by continuously shooting at it. The bullets continued to ram into the hovering chopper and even killed a couple of the SWAT officers on it.

"This is Buzzard 1, we are taking ground fire!" the pilot shouted.

After the two Johnson brothers frequently shot at the chopper, the vehicle finally caught on fire, and the chopper plunged down the street below.

"Mayday, mayday, Buzzard 1 is going down!" the pilot shouted. Those were his last words before the chopper finally crashed down in a tremendous explosion down below.

* * *

It was now silent, and the Johnson brothers were finally free to escape. The both took the stairs down and made it on the streets, only to find a set of headlights approaching to their left.

"Shit, what now?" Sweet asked.

"It's Smoke and Ryder!" CJ replied as he saw the Greenwood pull up in front of him and Sweet.

"Get in!" Big Smoke shouted.

CJ and Sweet complied as they hopped inside the back seat. Ryder was in the passenger's seat, and Big Smoke was behind the wheel.

"Hit the gas!" CJ ordered as he saw a pair of police cars chasing them for behind.

Big Smoke stomped on the gas pedal and rode as fast as he could.

"Eh man, I'm running low," CJ said checking his shotgun.

"I got a 'K, here," Ryder told him tossing an AK-47 to him.

"This fucking antique?" CJ asked inspecting the weapon.

"Yeah, well, Emmet ain't the pentagon!" Ryder shouted at CJ as the police cars began to get closer.

"You got it off Emmet?" CJ asked. "Shit!"

"CJ, cover the rear!" Big Smoke shouted.

CJ didn't say anything. He just aimed the AK-47 at the cops' cars chasing after and fired the bullets. The chase continued until one of the cop cars caught on fire and the other got hit by an oncoming train as Big Smoke crossed the railroad.

"Man, they got smoked, did you see that?" Sweet shouted.

"Damn!" CJ yelled. "That was close!"

"Man, it's getting intense!" Ryder shouted as Big Smoke drove through a parking garage. "It's getting worse out here! It's like World War VIII!"

As Big Smoke exited the garage, another cop car suddenly appeared from behind.

"Hey, CJ, watch to the left!" Ryder told CJ vociferously as the cop car pulled up to the left side.

"Your left, or my left?" CJ asked looking around curiously.

"Hell, I don't know, just shoot everybody motherfucker!" Ryder shouted

So CJ used his weapon to shoot at the cop car. "All suspects escaping in a blue four door back through South Center," a cop from the radio station of the police car announced.

"Trouble up ahead!" Big Smoke shouted as he drove straight through the bridge of East Los Santos. "Carl, they all over our ass baby!"

CJ looked up ahead to find more cop cars coming straight at the foursome. As Big Smoke made a left turn, CJ fired at the cop car chasing them until it caught on fire and exploded as well. Another chopper from behind was also chasing after them as well.

"CJ, watch our right!" Sweet told CJ as Big Smoke made a right turn uphill.

Meanwhile, police officers on motorbikes dropped their donuts after they witnessed the frenzy. "Waste of good donuts," one of them said. "Let's roll."

They followed the police cars to chase after the four gangsters.

"Eyes front, CJ!" Big Smoke shouted driving down the hill as fast as he could.

CJ faced front to see one of the officers on the motorbikes zoomed past the vehicle and hopped onto the front of the moving Greenwood.

"Surprise, homeboy!" he shouted.

"Holy shit, look at that!" CJ shouted as he shot down the police officer, who fell off the car and got ran over.

"I wish I'd have stayed home and watched the fucking game!" Big Smoke growled as he headed for the carwash below. "Carl, behind us! Behind us! Put up your window!"

But Big Smoke had already driven through the carwash.

"Smoke, what the fuck you doing?!" Sweet snapped at Big Smoke.

"Damn it, Smoke, I got soap in my eyes!" CJ yelled squinting his eyes, which were now burning red. "Smoke, you're insane!"

"I like things clean!" Big Smoke told him.

"Hey, CJ, watch to the left!" Ryder warned CJ as another police car pulled up on the left side.

CJ squinted hard to get his vision back and looked around to see that the group were driving back on Jefferson where the railroad was.

"Eh, ain't we been here before?" CJ asked.

"Hey, I'm taking what options I have, alright?!" Big Smoke protested. "Maybe if you have a nice word with these officers, they'll let us on our way!"

Just then, another LSPD biker jumped on the back of the car.

"Heads up, brother!" he cried.

"Hey, some idiot's hanging off the back of the car!" Ryder yelled. "Somebody shoot him!"

So CJ used the AK-47 to shoot down the officer as he fell off the vehicle.

"Oh shit!" Big Smoke shouted as he drove through the alleyway with the cops chasing from behind. "All I got in my rear view is bad guys! CJ, cover the rear!"

CJ shot at all the cop cars from behind until they all caught on fire and exploded. As Big Smoke exited the alleyway, CJ looked around for more police cars and motorbikes through Glen Park, where Big Smoke made a left turn from.

"Oh shit, roadblock up ahead!" Big Smoke yelled as the four gangsters saw that there were policemen shooting at them.

CJ aimed the AK-47 at the cops, but the trigger failed to activate. "The K's jammed!" he said.

"Fuck it, I'm going through!" Big Smoke said.

He ran into the two officers, with one landing on the hood of the car. Smoke then drove through a narrow alleyway and came to a stop.

"CJ, we got the ghetto bird up ahead!" Sweet shouted as the gangsters saw a chopper right up ahead.

"This is LSPD!" the pilot in the chopper announced through the megaphone as the chopper lowered closer to the ground from the distance. "Do not..Hey WHAT THE FUCK?! TOO LOW! YOU'LL KILL US ALL!"

"Back up Smoke, back up!" Sweet warned.

"Hell no, I'm going through!" Big Smoke said staring straight at the moving chopper.

"Oh man, we gon' dieeee!" Ryder yelled.

"Oooooooh SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" CJ shouted as the cop on the car got chopped up by the chopper's propeller as it hovered over the vehicle.

"Slow down Smoke," Sweet yelled as Big Smoke sped as fast as he could. "SLOW DOWN!"

"Oh shit, the brakes is out!" Big Smoke claimed as he drove even faster.

During the speed, CJ, Sweet, Big Smoke, and Ryder all bailed out of the vehicle and the car darted through a billboard and hit a truck hauling flammable liquid driving below on the freeway, which elicited a tremendous explosion down below.

"Shit!" Big Smoke said as he watched the explosion from above. "That's gonna be a hell of a story to tell when we passin' the blunt!"

"Man, that was some serious shit!" Sweet added. "Woo!"

"Fuck this!" Ryder said. "We gotta get out of here."

"Ryder's right!" Sweet agreed. "Everybody split up and we'll meet up later."

So CJ and the other guys split up and went their separate ways. It was now the night, and the cops would be after them any minute. CJ continued running away and never bothered looking back.

* * *

**PS, this is the final chapter of this story here. If you want to see what happens next, then simply click on my other story titled "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Re-write." The story continues from there.**


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